Diamonds in Wine
by moonlit.nocturne
Summary: Everyone knows Kanda Yuu, famous Japanese supermodel and heir to an international company. When Matsumomo Rei becomes his bodyguard, she swears not to fall in love with him. But with Kanda that gorgeous, is resistance even possible? KandaxOCxTyki
1. Setting

**Diamonds in Wine**

Fanfiction Based Off Of: -man

Original Story: Katsura Hoshino

**Chapter 1: Setting**

Modern world. Twenty-first century.

Setting. London, England.

Squeals of delight and flashing cameras. A teenage male alighted a limousine as he waved at the massive crowd. Hundreds of female news reporters and fashion designers dangled their microphones in front of the celebrity, who simply smiled congenially. He had dashing red hair and bright green eyes, though one was covered by an obscure eye-patch. This little enigma seemed to intrigue the girls even more than if both eyes were visible. He gave a goofy grin, which sent the girls in its direction fainting, and walked deftly on the red carpet. Huge posters reading, "I LOVE YOU LAVI" and "BOOKMAN FOREVER" were waved frenetically amongst the crowd.

Lavi Bookman Jr. Voted Most Datable Man in Europe.

* * *

Setting. Madrid, Spain.

A group of girls huddled over a magazine in a home, giggling and pointing.

"It's Tyki Mikk!" one of them said, laughing. "Oh, God, he's so dreamy."

"Look at that _body_," her friend said, trailing her index finger over the picture. "So _sexy_. And he's so tan…"

The model in the magazine was the wild, handsome type, reeking confidence and swagger. Running his hand through his messy black hair, he stared directly at the camera with unyielding golden eyes and a devilish smirk. He was swarthy and muscular, his bare chest almost gleaming under the sunlight as he advertised a beach resort. The girls were obviously more interested in the model himself than what he was representing.

Tyki Mikk. Voted Most Desirable Man in Europe.

* * *

Setting. Tokyo, Japan.

"Look at that," a passing female said, giving a dramatic sigh as she looked up at a billboard through the floating snow. "It's Gucci's latest advertisement."

The billboard hosted a young man, in his late teens, looking away from the camera, thus emitting an aloof and distant vibe. He was dressed in a blazer with no undershirt, exposing his well-built chest; he had his hands in his pockets as he leaned against a blank white wall. His long black hair, of a condition that any girl would die for, draped naturally in a loose ponytail over his shoulder. His face was pale, though not unnaturally so, making his piercing dark blue eyes seem more noticeable than normal. He was extremely handsome. It was an indisputable fact.

"What about it?" her boyfriend asked.

"It's Kanda Yuu…" she said, almost swooning.

Her boyfriend grew irritated.

"What about him?" he snapped.

"What do you mean, what about him? He's _beautiful_! The hottest model in Japan! No, in Asia! Not only that, his adoptive father is the CEO of a huge international company, and he's already made it clear that Kanda's going to be his sole heir, which makes him obscenely rich! And, oh, goodness, he's so gorgeous. Any girl would _die_ to be his."

"If our date is going to consist of you gawking at a guy other than me, I'm leaving," the boy said with a huff.

"What? You're just jealous that he's more handsome than you! It's no reason to be angry at him!"

"I'm not angry at him! I'm angry at you!"

The two of them began to argue furiously in the middle of the crowded street.

Kanda Yuu. Voted Most Beautiful Man in Asia. One major reason why girls break up with their boyfriends.

* * *

Setting. Tokyo, Japan. Black Order High School.

"Rei!"

A white-haired boy popped his head in a classroom that was empty save for a teenage girl staring out the window at the falling snow. When she didn't reply, he strode over to her.

"Matsumomo Rei!" he hissed again, sitting down in the seat beside her.

Her attention snapped back and she finally turned to him, ruffling a hand through her long hair.

"Allen-kun," she greeted without much emotion.

"Did you finish the math homework?"

"Yeah, I did. And do you have the history homework?"

"Yeah, let's exchange."

The two students dove into their notebooks and handed each other a sheet of paper, simultaneously pulling out a blank sheaf and copying the other's work down hastily.

"Thank God you did it," Allen said, feverishly writing the numbers down. "I had no idea what this was about."

"Tell me about it," she agreed, frowning as she copied dates down. "I mean, who the hell cares who died in so and so year…"

"No, it's more like why the hell would I want to know what the probability is to roll two sixes when rolling two fair die. I mean, who cares? Besides, history is easy."

"No, math is easy. Goodness, Allen-kun, I think we'd both just fail if we didn't have each other…"

"Definitely," Allen said fervently. "Exactly how we're going to get through midterm exams, I have no idea…"

"I don't really care," Rei groaned. "One more year of this stressful high school life, and we're off to college."

"Except how we're going to _pay_ for that, I have no idea."

"Exactly…" Rei said with a sigh.

They paused their conversation for a moment as the room began to fill up with students who had just retrieved their lunches from their lockers.

"Finished!" the white-haired teenager said happily. "Thanks, Rei!"

"Here, I'm done too." She handed the homework back to Allen.

"You seem kind of down, you know," Allen noted, stuffing the homework back in his folder taking a bento box out of his backpack. "What's up?"

Rei looked around her, checking to see if anyone was listening.

"I'm broke," she said quietly. "I haven't paid tuition for next semester yet, and Komui-sensei is starting to wonder why."

"Your dad really didn't leave you any money?" Allen inquired, eyes clouded with worry as he shoved rice in his mouth.

"No. All I had when he disappeared was the measly amount he had in the bank, but it barely covered this semester and I'm already in debt for the apartment…" Rei gave a sigh. "I might have to move out…but I've checked around already, and there aren't any cheaper prices in the school vicinity. Maybe I should drop out…"

"Don't do that!" Allen said frantically, a pickled plum falling out of his mouth. "What'll happen to me if you do? How about you move in with me?"

"That wouldn't work," answered Rei. "You're about as bad off as me…"

"Maybe you should tell Komui-sensei what happened."

"And get sent to some child shelter? No thanks. I'm fine living on my own. The only problem is money. Maybe I should get a job…"

"But the Black Order doesn't allow students to have part-time jobs…"

"Oh, is someone talking about a part-time job?" a snickering voice appeared above them.

Rei looked up to see Satsuma Aiko smirking down on them. She groaned inwardly. Aiko was one of the richest and snobbiest heiresses in the school. Her black school uniform was professionally tailored and stitched to perfection; two intercrossing C's were embedded on her cuffs, showing that it had been specially designed at Chanel.

"Something you need, Satsuma-san?" Rei asked coldly, her green eyes glittering as she tried not to roll them when she saw Aiko's cuffs.

"Oh, of course not!" Aiko laughed. "As if I would need anything from poor people like you two! I just happened to overhear a snippet of your conversation."

"Meaning you were eavesdropping like a sneak," Rei corrected. "But don't mind me. Carry on."

"Matsumomo, you might want to watch your mouth, you know. Because poor people like you who are only here on scholarship can be kicked out of this school as long as I want them to be. Isn't that right, girls?"

Aiko's band of girlfriends chimed "Yeah" together like a street choir.

"Anyway, Matsumomo, rich and prestigious schools like this one really don't need poor trash like you, I'm afraid. You and Walker will probably be kicked out before you know it!"

"If that's all you have to say," Rei said with a smile, "I'm afraid I didn't find your tirade to be particularly enlightening. If you have enough time to be lecturing others about their financial situation, you should probably go study and bring your grades up back to the top ten percent of the class, because as of now, the Satsuma Company's future seems a bit bleak. But then again, if you do go bankrupt, you'll just be a commoner like the rest of us! There's nothing wrong with that."

"How dare you!" Aiko shrieked. "You're just jealous!"

"Of your stupidity," Rei said dryly.

"I'll have you know that my beauty can make up for my grades! Because I'm so beautiful, I've been invited to a social party at Gucci's headquarters next week! And guess who's going to be there?"

"Your father," Allen replied thickly through his cream bun.

"Well, yes, he will, but that's not the point! Kanda Yuu is going to be there!"

Aiko's tagalong group burst out into excited shrieks.

"So why don't you just sit here and lament over money while I'm flirting with the hottest guy in Japan?" Aiko sneered. "Poor people, you disgust me."

She tossed her bleached hair over her shoulder and left the room, laughing in a terribly high-pitched voice all the while.

"I have no idea what girls see in that guy," Allen muttered.

"Who?"

"Kanda Yuu."

"Oh. Well, he's good-looking, I'll give him that."

"He's a jerk, believe me."

Rei arched an eyebrow.

"You sound like you know him personally," she remarked.

"I-I mean, he _sounds_ like he's a jerk. You know, on television."

"Well, I think he's just a pretty boy," she said, reaching over and taking Allen's last cream bun. "If I were to choose a model I really like…I'd have to say Tyki Mikk."

"The Portuguese one?"

"Yeah," she replied, nodding. "He's _very_ handsome. Oh, and Lavi Bookman's all right, too."

"Both of them are major playboys."

She gave him an exasperated look.

"Do you hate all male models or something? Fine then, who do you like?"

Allen went pink as he hastily muttered something unintelligible.

"Sorry?"

"I said Lenalee Lee…" he said quietly, his cheeks growing redder.

"The model from China?" Rei questioned.

Allen nodded.

"Yeah, she's very cute," Rei said, thinking. "She's been quite popular in Japan lately…but doesn't rumor have it that she and Kanda are dating?"

"Though I have no idea why, seeing how he's an insufferable idiot."

"So they are dating?"

"Yeah."

"How do you know?"

"I…I like to keep up with these things."

Rei gave him a strange look, sensing that Allen was deliberately hiding something from her. The bell rang, however, and as they shuffled out to their next class, the thought of interrogating Allen flew out of her mind as she began to obsess over the issue of money again.

* * *

Rei shuffled through the snow back to her apartment. Her landlady was nice despite the fact that she was behind on paying her dues and had hung a small microwavable dinner on her door. Attached to it was a note with instructions on how to make it, as well as an inquiry of whether Rei had heard from her father yet. The teenage girl gave a sigh and walked into the apartment, locking the door behind her. She kicked off her dilapidated loafers and set the bag of food on the counter, and, not bothering to turn on any lights, plopped down on the couch, exhausted.

Matsumomo Rei, seventeen years old, third year in high school. Recently abandoned by her father. Six months before, Rei had woken up to find the house completely deserted. With no sign of a skirmish, break-in, or note, Rei had been forced to conclude that her father had simply left her with nothing, not even a note explaining where he went or how long he was going to be gone. Cooking and cleaning were not issues; the biggest problem was money. The bank account had had a decent amount that had gone mainly to the school, for, even though Rei was there on scholarship, she was still required to pay a good amount. Unable to find another source of income, she had simply stopped eating lunch and only used electricity as needed to save money.

It wasn't like she didn't have an idea why her father disappeared, though. Matsumomo Eiji was retired body who had worked for many famous celebrities, so it wasn't like his job had been without any danger. Rei herself had been raised by her paranoid father to learn every bit of physical training since she was very young. Her father had encouraged her playing with guns (unloaded guns, of course, but it still wasn't very safe), swords, and daggers of all kinds, testing and sparring with her often. Only a week before her father disappeared, Eiji had told her that she was fully qualified to be a professional bodyguard. _Like that was going to be helpful later on in life_, Rei thought with a scowl. She had to admit that she enjoyed fighting though; it was a good stress reliever. Eiji always remarked how much Rei was like her mother, who had died in a car crash when she was young; though she was not Japanese, Eileen Raye Matsumomo had also been a martial artist, and an accomplished one at that.

The phone rang suddenly, causing Rei to jolt upright in the darkness. She leaned over to the desk and took the phone off its cradle.

"Hello?"

"Is Matsumomo Eiji home?"

"He's not in," she replied mechanically, having already restated this message to telemarketers. "May I leave a message?"

"Tell him that this is Reever. I'm Kanda Yuu's manager."

Rei gaped.

"You're _joking_."

"I'm afraid not, little missy," Reever chuckled. "Is your father really not in?"

"No, I'm sorry, he's not. Er, what do you need with him?"

"Kanda's got a shortage of bodyguards and your father is one of the best in the nation. We were going to ask him to come out of retirement and help us out. If you could just tell him to come to Kanda's temporary office sometime tonight, that'd be great."

Reever gave her the address, which Rei scribbled down quickly in the dark, and hung up, leaving her alone with the slip of paper. It suddenly became very clear to her what she had to do.

* * *

"He should be here sometime soon," Reever said nervously. "His daughter said that she'd pass the message along."

"She probably didn't," the teenager said coldly as he swirled the glass of ice water in his hand. "I told you it wasn't a good idea, Reever…getting an old guy out of retirement. And I don't _need_ bodyguards. I'm quite capable of handling myself."

"Y-yeah, I know that, Kanda-san, but just in case…"

Kanda Yuu gave an irritated sigh and sat back in his leather seat behind his desk. His piercing blue eyes scanned the elegant office room with a look of distaste. Reever tried not to wince at the youth's scowl; Kanda's temper was erratic and scary. Though he was a famous supermodel and heir of a successful company, well-acclaimed by everyone, Kanda maintained a terribly aloof personality with the general public and paparazzi. He had no desire to be part of the gossip or daily news and was strictly dedicated to work.

There was an uncertain knock on the door. Reever looked up from his little part of the floor, relieved.

"Come in," he said eagerly.

Reever's eagerness disappeared as soon as he saw the visitor. She looked somewhere in her late teens, was of slim build and almost unhealthy pallor, and had long black hair that was in desperate need of cutting. Her winter jacket was slightly frayed and her shoes were in terrible condition. Reever saw Kanda's nose wrinkle in disgust at her appearance and winced again. Though she wasn't ugly, Kanda was constantly surrounded by women who were sublimely beautiful, and this girl was not quite up to par.

"Who the hell are you?" Kanda asked rudely.

"I'm Matsumomo Rei," she said with a small bow. "I'm really sorry about this, but—"

"Is your father not coming?" Reever said desperately.

She shook her head, causing Reever's heart to drop and Kanda's lips to curl in a snarl.

"I'm very sorry about this, Kanda-san…" Reever said apologetically.

"Wait, please listen," Rei interjected, a shadow of anger crossing over her face for being ignored. "My father is currently missing."

"I don't particularly care," Kanda said coolly.

Rei gave the model a nasty glare before continuing.

"I'm not asking you to," she said icily. "What I came today for was to see if I could take the job in his place."

"W-what?" Reever gasped.

"I've been trained by him," Rei said quickly, taking advantage of their attention. "I'm skilled in every type of fighting style: karate, judo, taekwondo, you name it…I can also assemble a gun in less than a minute, I can shoot…basically anything a typical bodyguard can do."

"I am _not_ going to be protected by a girl," Kanda said blandly.

"Don't judge me based on that," she snapped. Surprise passed over Kanda's normally impassive face as he heard her tone; obviously the model prodigy was more accustomed to women swooning over him than snapping at him.

"I'm well-trained," she said, recovering herself. "I'd really appreciate if you at least gave me a chance."

"No," said Kanda firmly. "It's insulting to—"

The door suddenly burst open, ushering in two black-clad figures, both masked and armed. Reever stood instinctively in front of his employer as one of them raised his gun, pointing it in their direction.

Rei whipped around and kicked the gun out of the assailant's hand, and without a moment's pause, punched him deftly in the face. The other figure turned his attention to the girl, but before he could attack, she knocked the gun out of his hands while kneeing him between the leg, causing him to double over and fall. She swung out a leg, tripping the first attacker, and knocked him down by his accomplice. She pressed both of their heads to the ground, holding them at gunpoint.

There was a deathly silence; nothing could be heard except for the invaders' ragged breathing.

"What the hell just happened?" Kanda said.

The door opened again, and Rei, while pinning the two attackers down with her knees, immediately pointed the gun at the doorway. A foreign old man with a kindly looking face walked in, smiling. Reever immediately felt relieved. Froi Tiedoll, Kanda's adoptive father, had arrived.

"Oh-ho!" he grinned. "It looks like these two got beaten up quite badly! Good job, girl!"

Kanda stood up instantly.

"What the hell did you just do, old man?" he demanded angrily.

Upon hearing Kanda's exclamation, Rei dropped her arm to her side.

"Oh, I just heard that Reever had contacted my old friend, Matsumomo Eiji, to be your bodyguard, and I wanted to see if his skills had rusted any!" the foreigner explained. "He used to guard me, you know! But this seems to be his daughter! You can get off of them now, you know. They were just testing you."

Rei scrambled to her feet and gave a hasty bow, tossing the guns by their owners.

"You've learned well, child," he said. "You look much like your mother, you know. That must be where you get your eye color."

Rei didn't seem to know what to say, so she simply nodded.

"Well, Yuu-chan—"

"Don't. Call. Me. That."

"I suppose this girl will make a good addition to your team. How about it, dear? Ah, I'm sorry, I don't know your name."

"Rei. Matsumomo Rei."

"Well then, Rei-chan, please take care of my son."

"I am _not_ your son!"

"Reever," Tiedoll said, ignoring his son's outburst, "be sure to treat Rei-chan nicely and give her a good salary. How's your father doing, by the way?"

"He's…er…missing," Rei said truthfully.

Tiedoll looked shocked.

"For how long?" he questioned.

"About half a year…"

"And you didn't report this?"

"Eh…I was going to…but I didn't want to end up in an orphanage, since I'm not of age yet…" Rei gave an awkward smile. "I know I should have, but I think he left for a reason, so I don't really want to bother him about it…"

"Do you want us to look into it?" Tiedoll offered. "We have a good team here, I'm sure we can find him."

"He might just be on some covert mission or something," Rei replied, obviously trying to downplay the issue. "Don't worry about it."

"As you wish…" Tiedoll did not seem convinced. "Yuu-chan, treat her _delicately_. Don't be mean and brash like you always are to women."

"Only to ugly ones."

Rei rolled her eyes as Tiedoll simply shook his head and left the room. Reever, happy that he had finished his objected mission, placed a contract on the desk in front of Kanda and Rei.

"Now, Matsumomo-san—"

"It's just Rei," she interrupted, sliding in the seat across from Kanda. "Matsumomo-san is my father, so I'd rather you not call me that."

"Oh, well, all right, Rei-san, if you could just sign here…this states that you will protect Kanda Yuu to the best of your ability, and here's the salary…" he pointed to the figure. "Are there any requests?"

She hesitated.

"Just spit it out," said Kanda.

"I'm a third year high school student," she said. "If possible, could I just work…at night? Because I have to attend school?"

"I don't care," Kanda said with a nonchalant shrug. "Don't think work will be less just because it's at night. Most of my shoots take place then."

"Well, if Kanda-san is okay with it, then I am too," Reever said, anxiously trying to convey an apology to the scowling girl for Kanda's behavior. "If you could just sign here…"

Rei signed quickly, her signature bold and smooth, and stood up.

"So when do I start?" she asked.

"Tomorrow," Kanda replied. "I have a shoot at D&G at six. Don't be late."

Rei nodded understandingly.

"I have conditions that if you don't meet, I'll fire you immediately," said the model.

Rei's eyes narrowed.

"Go on."

"You can _not_ fall for me," Kanda said with a faint smirk. "I _hate_ fangirls. They drive me crazy, so I definitely can't have one with me."

"You flatter yourself. Personally, I find you detestable, though I really shouldn't be saying that since you're my employer."

She gave him a cold glare and stood up, preparing to leave.

"And another thing, Matsumomo," Kanda called, causing the girl to stop at the door. "Do something about your appearance, would you? At least make yourself presentable."

She tried to smile but it seemed to fail miserably, for all Reever saw on her face was a definite snarl before the door slammed shut. Reever shook his head and collected the papers. Despite his good looks and natural modeling ability, the manager had to admit: Kanda Yuu was a jerk.


	2. Captivation

**Chapter 2:** **Captivation **

Allen had been right. Kanda Yuu was every bit of the insufferable jerk that the white-haired teenager had made him out to be. That insane _cockiness_, that _arrogance_, that…incredible beauty. Rei hated to admit it, but the moment she'd walked into the room, she'd almost stopped breathing. Kanda Yuu was every bit as gorgeous as the advertisements made him out to be. But the moment he opened his damn mouth, he was stupid, annoying, and unbelievably unbearable. Rei had been tempted to walk right out on his inanity, but no, the looming prospect of bills popped in her mind, and she forced herself to stay. Besides, seeing her salary helped with the decision considerably.

Rei flipped on the lights in the kitchen, willing to actually utilize the luxury now that she'd secured a job for herself, and cooked her dinner. She'd have to thank the landlady later. After eating her fill, she took a shower and went to her room, pulling out her backpack and textbooks. She sat at her desk, working for a few minutes, when something made her look up at her reflection in the mirror.

Kanda's scathing words came back to her.

"Do something about your appearance, would you? At least make yourself presentable."

Rei scowled, running a hand through her hair. Right, so maybe her hair was getting a bit long…and her clothes weren't exactly all brand-name…but who the hell was he to judge? Not everyone could be drop dead gorgeous like him…and she _liked_ her appearance, though she supposed she could actually brush her hair more often, and maybe not let her lips get so chapped…she let out an angry hiss. Being around an international model did wonders to her self-consciousness.

A piece of stiff paper hanging at the edge of her desk caught her eye. Rei picked it up and smoothed the page out, studying the image. It was an incredibly famous picture of Tyki Mikk, one that secured his debut in the supermodel world. He was sitting on a yacht on a straw chair, relaxing in what looked like incredibly good weather. His white button-down shirt was open, revealing his strong chest; his curly black hair wrapped around his neck and trailed to his shoulders. He had a wine glass at his lips, his lips parted in a devilish smirk, his golden eyes glimmering. The adjectives of "sexy" and "seductive" had immediately come to Rei's mind when she first saw the photo, and for once, she thought advertisements were, well, more than just advertisements. They were capable of causing her heart to beat a little faster, for her cheeks to flush…she looked down at the corner of the photo, and there, in plain white English text, was:

Model: Tyki Mikk. Portugal. Male Model of the Year.

Photographer: Cross Marian. England.

Rei set down the picture to one side and turned her attention back to her homework. No use in fantasizing over a photo of a guy who she'd probably never see, and was probably an arrogant jerk much like his colleague. She gave a sigh, her eyes scanning the first line of the history homework. In what year did the Meiji government begin…she set herself to work.

* * *

"Shit," Rei cursed, running back home, her backpack's sling cutting into her shoulder as she hopped over the fence and raced up the stairs. Cleaning duty had taken way too long; it was a quarter past five already, and if she didn't get to Kanda's residence in twenty minutes, she was going to be late. And fired. Before her job even started. There was no way she was going to make it on time if she took the bus like yesterday.

Rei slammed the door to her apartment opened and tossed her backpack on the couch. What to do…

The answer was very simple. Her dad's motorcycle.

She knew how to drive. Very well, actually. She was a rather accomplished driver, having trained with her father on rocky mountain roads…but there was the problem that she did not quite have her license. Her father had never really taken her to get one, seeing how much she liked to speed and probably thinking that she was going to fail anyway. But desperate times called for desperate measures…she grabbed the keys from the drawer and headed back to her room to change.

She threw off her school uniform and tossed on a black turtleneck sweater. Figuring that her school skirt was somewhat decent, she then fumbled through her closet for her black leather windbreaker and brought it over her shoulders. A white scarf to protect her from the frigid blasts of snow, a messy bun, a gun, and a helmet…she double-checked to make sure that the gun wasn't cocked before she set out of her apartment to the garage.

She stepped silently in the darkness of the parking lot, careful not to make any noise just in case the landlady heard her, and unlocked a personal garage to reveal a shiny yellow motorcycle. It had been her dad's pride and joy, this yellow Naked KTM, so ostentatious and yet alluring that Rei herself had fallen in love with it despite its flashy appearance, and she had never considered the notion of selling it in order to alleviate her financial burdens. She stuck in the keys and let the engine roar to life, checking her watch before she set out. Five twenty-two. She frowned and strapped the glassy helmet tighter. It was going to be tough.

Rei pulled into the garage of Kanda's apartment complex, the tires of her bike screeching to a stop in the parking space. She climbed off and spared a few seconds to examine her parking job. Damn. She wasn't quite straight…her dad would've failed her.

Rei slipped into the staircase and began to ascend the stairs. Only when she was on the seventh floor did she start wondering why she hadn't thought to use the elevator instead of climbing eleven flights. By the time she knocked on the door, she was trying very hard not to keel over from shortage of breath. She was so out of practice.

Reever answered the door.

"Hello, Rei-san," he greeted. "You're just in time. Kanda-san's about finished."

"Great," she said without a trace of a smile, for the model had just walked in line of her vision. The expression of condescension on his face was clear, and it did not help Rei's aggravation.

"We really need to work on your fashion sense," he said coldly as he donned on a heavy jacket over his silk suit. "What the hell are you wearing?"

"It's cold outside," she answered coolly. "Sorry that we all can't afford Prada jackets."

"You should be sorry," Kanda said, shuddering slightly as he scrutinized her outfit. "You look like a biker."

Rei opened her mouth to reply that that was exactly what she was, then thought better not to say that she had driven well over the speed limit on the way here without a license.

"What is wrong with your hair? You're a girl—take care of that lion's mane."

"It's in a bun—it should be fine."

"It's _not_. It's clearly not. _Brush it_."

"I was too busy making sure I was on time."

"Well, you're very close to being late," Kanda said icily before returning to his harangue about her appearance. "And _goodness_, do something about your shoes."

"They're boots."

"Ever heard of _heels_? The wonders they do to women's figures."

"If you'd rather me trip and fall when I'm trying to stand in the way of a bullet pelting towards you instead of effectively pushing you out of the way, then I'll go change immediately."

Kanda simply frowned and turned to his manager.

"Reever, is the car ready?"

"Yes."

"Then let's go."

They rode the elevator down to the back lobby that led to the garage.

"I'm guessing that the paparazzi are in the front?" Rei suggested.

"Yeah, it can get pretty bad," Reever replied. "So Rei-san, since you're a girl, be sure to make it clear that you're a bodyguard instead of…well…you know how rumors can get inflated."

"Like I'd ever date someone with that bad of a fashion sense."

"Once I get my paycheck, maybe I'll do something about it."

"You do that."

"But for now, shut the hell up, would you?"

His blue eyes flickered slightly.

"I _am_ your employer, you know."

"Please," she said without a trace of benevolence. "You're disturbing my concentration."

Kanda did not reply.

They arrived at the D&G headquarters in due time; Kanda was quickly ushered to the make-up and hair salon while Reever and Rei sat to the sidelines. Reever introduced Rei to the photographer, a young foreign man who spoke a little Japanese.

"He's English," Reever said apologetically afterwards. "Sorry if it was hard to communicate."

"I should've paid more attention in class if I knew I was going to be in this sort of international job," Rei said as she sat down at an empty table. "My English is mediocre."

"Yeah, you might want to work on it."

"I'll try."

They fell into silence as Kanda walked out, fully prepared for the shoot. He was dressed in a dark blue suit, without a button-down shirt, a long white tie hanging loosely around his neck. His bangs were slicked back, and his hair was tied in a high ponytail. Seeing Rei's gaze upon him, he simply smirked and walked in front of the camera, radiating an aura of confidence.

"This photographer, Michael Grand, first saw Kanda at a runway show in London," Reever explained as Michael Grand gave Kanda some suggestions for poses. "He liked the idea of portraying Kanda as aloof, cold, and distant…hence, they're shooting with the theme of snow."

"All those adjectives are already embedded in Kanda-san's personality," Rei said calmly, drawing her attention away from Kanda and taking a math book out of her bag. "It must not be very hard to meet Grand's requirements if it simply means flaunting his natural aura."

"…I'm sorry to see that you don't like him."

"It's not that I don't like him," she lied thinly. "I just tend to clash with people who had snobbish dispositions. But don't mind me, Reever-san. I'm simply a bodyguard. I'll do my work."

She opened her textbook and began to read over the lesson. Her concentration, however, failed her miserably, for Rei's eyes constantly peered over the edges of the pages and insisted on staring at Kanda. Minutes passed as she stubbornly tried to read the notes under her nose…_The fundamental theorem of calculus is…_The haughtiness that was so annoying to her moments before now seemed…enthralling. Captivating. _Let _f _be a real-valued function on a closed interval…_ Every look that he gave the camera was piercing and powerful, and for a few seconds, Rei lost herself watching even his most subtle movement, a shift to the left, leaning against his right shoulder…_[a,b] that admits an anti-derivative_ g_ on [a,b]_…but what exactly what an anti-derivative was, she didn't know, even though Rei had been studying calculus for the last year…he was tilting his head slightly back, again with that haughty air…sliding his hand under his blazer, and finally…

"Now, Kanda-san," Grand said in broken Japanese, "give us that glare you're famous for."

For some particular reason, Kanda looked directly at Rei when he heard the last request, his lips curling into half a smirk before turning back to the camera, his blue eyes narrowed with an intensity that was incredible, his lips in a thin line as he gave a concentrated glare. The camera shutter clicked incessantly, capturing the image of that brilliant face and silky black hair, of the colors of his suit against the blank white walls…and only when Grand said "That's a wrap!" did Rei finally snap out of it. She quickly glanced at the clock. Her eyes widened. An hour had passed? Already? And she hadn't read past one sentence!

Kanda walked up to them.

"Break time?" Reever said, handing him a cup of cold water.

"Yeah, things are progressing pretty smoothly. Thank goodness; I want to go home and sleep."

He was staring at Rei, smirking.

"What?" she said calmly, her embarrassment for gazing at him in stupor not evident on her features.

"Don't pretend. You were entranced, weren't you?" He gave a soft scoff. "Women. You say one thing and do another. But I suppose it can't be helped…"

Grand was calling Kanda back to resume the photo shoot. The model downed the contents of his drink and set it back on the table.

"Have fun," he said.

* * *

"I am so tired," Rei and Allen said simultaneously the next day at lunch.

They blinked at each other in surprise.

"Why are you tired?" Rei asked, sitting down in her seat.

"I just have a lot of stuff to do," Allen said wearily. "And I didn't understand the math homework at all last night…" He gave her a pleading look. "Help?"

"I…yeah, it was hard," she said, taking out her calculus book and setting it in front of them both. "Give me half your sandwich and I'll explain it to you."

"No. I'm hungry."

"Allen-kun, I am too."

"I'm not going to give you my history homework if you don't teach me."

"We didn't have homework yesterday."

"Damn. I forgot about that. But Rei, I'm starving!"

"You have ten sandwiches stashed away in your bag—don't deny it! I know you do."

"Fine," Allen said grudgingly, handing over a small fraction of his lunch. "Now explain."

"Sorry, I didn't get it either," Rei said, her mouth full of bread and jam.

"What?"

"I didn't. Well, I sort of did. But my…atmosphere wasn't very good for studying. So I didn't really get it all…"

"How much _did_ you get?"

"About the first half. And then I changed locations."

"…To where?"

"Nowhere."

"Are you hiding something?"

"No. Are you?"

"No," Allen answered quickly, taking a bite of his sandwich.

Rei arched an eyebrow, tempted to pursue her interrogation…something made her think that she was not the only one hiding things. But Allen was a good friend, and she didn't want to pressure him to answer something he didn't want to, and especially since she understood his situation…she gave a small sigh and brought her pencil up to the page, beginning to explain the calculus that she had had such a hard time learning the night before. If only Kanda hadn't kept popping into her head at random intervals, with that powerful look at the end of his shoot…but he did, and it had made learning a subject that was incredibly boring compared to the Japanese model very hard.

* * *

Rei skidded into the parking lot the next day, almost late again. Damn Aiko and her stupid friends, always making a mess out of things and never helping out with cleaning duties, even though the whole class was supposed to…why she put up with that girl, even Rei didn't know…and this job was something she was surprised she put up with as well. Risking getting arrested just for the sake of a cocky as hell model who disdained the world…

The routine was the same as the day before, though in order to hopefully mollify her anal employer, Rei had actually gone through her hair with a brush and tied it in a ponytail to the side. However, given the windy conditions and icy roads of the day, she made it to the apartment relatively disheveled in looks and rosy in cheeks. Thankfully, Kanda did not say much about her appearance because he was too busy being furious.

"What do you mean, the car's not ready?"

"It broke down, and I have no idea why," Reever said, scooting subtly away from Kanda's wrath.

"I'm going to be late." Kanda's fury had an interesting way of manifesting itself—it was almost a calm, deadly kind of anger, something much worse than yelling. Even Rei considered leaving the room for a minute to wait for the storm to pass.

"I've never been late," Kanda said coldly. "This is ridiculous. Why don't you have a back-up car?"

"There were none available."

"Helicopter?"

"The weather prevents that from being safe."

"I don't give a damn if it's safe or not. Get me one."

"I don't think they'd do that," Rei spoke up.

"I don't care."

"Where do you need to go? D&G headquarters again?"

"No, it's a bit farther," Reever replied for Kanda. "It's Gucci…"

"I know where that is…" she said thoughtfully.

"Do you have an idea, or are you just gloating?" Kanda said snappishly.

"I do have an idea, actually," Rei said frigidly, "but if you don't want to hear it, that's fine."

"Spill it."

"I drive a motorcycle here. I can probably get you there on time."

"But it's dangerous!" Reever said anxiously. "The roads, they're all iced, and you're only seventeen. That's not enough experience to be riding on the streets!"

"I…don't have a license."

Reever blanched all the more.

"You…you've been driving illegally here?" the manager said weakly.

"That's besides the point," Rei said. "If you're willing, Kanda-san, I can take you to your destination…though I only have room for one more person, so Reever-san will have to wait."

"You're…a safe driver, right?" Kanda said cautiously.

"That's for you to decide. It's your reputation at stake, Kanda-san. You call the shots."

"I'm against this, Kanda-san," Reever said. "There are paparazzi waiting everywhere around this apartment; you'll be seen!"

"He can have my helmet."

"All the same…this isn't safe…"

Rei said nothing, her gaze simply fixated on Kanda. The model looked at her briefly, and, sensing her confidence, nodded curtly.

"You better not make me late," he said, ignoring Reever's indignant cries and ushering her out the door into the elevator.

Rei simply handed him her helmet as the elevator travelled down to the garage. She could hear the screaming fangirls outside the garage doors, waiting to welcome the famous model…Rei scanned the garage, looking for an alternate way out. There was a narrow passageway, leading to a small alley where the trash was usually dumped out. The route was rather narrow and unsafe, but beggars couldn't be choosers.

She climbed onto the motorcycle, revving the engine as Kanda climbed on behind her, placing his hands awkwardly around her waist. Rei reached into her pocket and withdrew a pair of black sunglasses, sliding them on her face smoothly as she pushed the motorcycle into acceleration.

"Just hold on tight."

It took a few minutes for her to vroom out of the alleyway and onto the main streets, amidst honking cars and angry taxi drivers. If only they knew who was riding with her…

"Are you sure you know the way?" Kanda's distorted voice came from behind the helmet.

"Yeah," she shouted over the beeps. "Hang on, I'm going to speed a bit…"

She gunned the acceleration and the yellow bike shot out on the side lanes, zipping in between cars.

"So who's the photographer this time?" she yelled.

"Cross Marian," Kanda yelled back.

She nearly swerved in front of a car, causing it to beep furiously at her.

"Watch where the hell you're going!" Kanda said angrily.

"Cross Marian?" she said, disbelieving as she charged a red light. "The one who took Tyki Mikk's international debut photos two years ago?"

"At least you know him," Kanda said. She could imagine the smirk on his face. "Yeah, he's a pretty impressive photographer; this is my first time working with him."

"Lucky you."

Rei neared the Gucci company and stopped at the back garage at Kanda's directions. He returned her helmet, revealing a windswept face and somewhat messy hair.

"You'll need to fix that," she noted at his hair. "But c'mon. You'll be late."

They raced to the third floor on foot, seeing as the elevator was stuck on the seventeenth, and somehow found their way to the studio.

"You're nearly late," a voice said to their right the moment they entered.

Cross Marian was an older man, though rather handsome for his age. He had flaming red hair and spectacles; he was wearing an expensive looking suit and was smoking a cigarette as he ran a gloved hand through his hair.

"The king of punctuality," he grinned. "Looks like you still keep your title. We're going to begin immediately, so go and get ready."

Cross's gaze landed on Rei.

"Oh? I thought you were dating Lenalee Lee. Who's this?"

"I'm Matsumomo Rei," Rei replied, motioning for Kanda to go and prepare. She could introduce herself. She gave a smooth and deep bow. "I'm Kanda-san's bodyguard," Rei explained as she straightened up. "Sorry for the delay; his car broke down."

"How the hell did you guys get here?"

"Motorbike."

"Nice," Cross chuckled. "What model?"

"Naked KTM."

"Seriously?"

"Yep."

"What color?"

"Yellow."

"Damn. Should've gone for red."

"I considered it. But I liked yellow more."

Cross extended a hand as he analyzed her features.

"You could do with some makeup, you know," he said as he shook her hand.

"I don't really need it, seeing how no one's going to be looking at me if they're trying to attack Kanda-san."

"Point taken. You like him?"

"No."

"Ha," Cross laughed. "That's not something you hear very often. Got any models you admire though?"

Rei hesitated.

"I like Tyki Mikk," she said simply. "The photos that you shot of him back on the Mediterranean…they were amazing."

"He's a good model, that Tyki Mikk," Cross said, reminiscing. "Of course, they wouldn't have been so good if it hadn't been me photographing. You, Rei-chan, have good taste."

He grinned at her surprise at the way he addressed her.

"I like calling women by their first name," he clarified. "Intimate scale, you know."

"Sure…"

So Kanda Yuu was a jerk and Cross Marian was a womanizer. Showbiz…perfect world.

"Hey!" Cross shouted at the working crew. "Where's the new worker kid? Walker, or whatever?"

"Here," a familiar voice said breathlessly. "Do you need anything?"

"Yeah, show this girl to an empty table so she can watch, and do it quickly—"

Cross began to stride away, his orders trailing off in the distance.

Rei stared at the assistant in shock.

"Shit, Rei…what the hell are you doing here?"

Allen did not look pleased to see her. Frankly, neither was she. This was going to be one hell of a job.


	3. Predictions

**Chapter 3: Predictions**

"You explain. Now," Rei said, her eyes flashing dangerously as she sat down on the chair.

"No. You first. What the hell are you doing with Kanda Yuu?"

"What the hell are _you_ doing with Cross Marian?" retorted Rei. "How do you even know the guy? He's a world renowned photographer!"

"Uh, are you kidding me? Girls would _kill_ to get a _glimpse_ of Kanda Yuu; you're obviously the one that has the more important job!"

"Who cares about who has the more important job? The residing fact is that we're both going to be kicked out of school for having part-time jobs!"

"I'll shut up if you shut up," said Allen sourly.

"Deal," said Rei fervently. "Okay, so explain. Why Cross Marian?"

"I…I actually want to be a photographer," said Allen offhandedly. "And well…through a few connections, I actually got to meet him, and they said that he needed a few more assistants since he's been staying in Japan for a while, so…yeah."

"How long has this been going on?"

"For a couple of months, I guess. I needed a way to support myself after my inheritance ran out…"

"And you never told me?"

"You didn't tell me about your job either!" said Allen defensively. "How long have you been working?"

"Two days," replied Rei coolly.

"Oh," he said awkwardly.

"Yeah, I only got this job recently. You know how my old man was a bodyguard, right? Well, he taught me a few tricks of the trade, and when Kanda's manager called our house for my dad…well, I went instead. And they gave it to me."

"They did?" said Allen, thunderstruck.

"Obviously," said Rei a tad coldly. "What, you think I'm not up to par?"

"Well…I mean, I know that you were good at sports…but being a bodyguard's a pretty big deal, Rei. Especially for a guy like Kanda. I mean, you don't know how many girls would suicide if something happened to him."

"Believe me, I wouldn't be one of them," Rei muttered. She leaned back in her seat, shivering slightly. "What the hell's up with the temperature in here? It's freezing! There's heat, right? I mean, it _is_ Gucci."

"Shishou likes it cold," shrugged Allen. "You sort of get used to it. Besides, if you're cold, just keep your jacket on."

"I'm fine," Rei said briskly, her eyes on the salon door as it opened, "but _he_ won't be."

Kanda came back in the room, shirtless, his pants riding low at his hips, ready to begin work. His black hair, properly straightened and brushed, trailed down his bare back, and he was radiating his natural confidence. His eyes, however, seemed a bit disturbed as they glanced around the room. It looked as if he were repressing a shiver.

"Is Marian serious?" said Rei incredulously. "It's snowing outside, and it's practically snowing in here, and he's going to make Kanda shoot half-naked?"

"Shishou told me beforehand that he wants Kanda to try a different theme," Allen explained. "There's a female model here as well; he wants them to do a more revealing shoot. It should be different for Kanda, seeing as the only theme he's been shooting is 'snowy,' which shouldn't be very hard for him."

"You're just jealous 'cause he's dating Lenalee Lee, aren't you?"

Allen blushed furiously. "That's besides the point."

"So have you met her?"

"A couple of times?"

"And you've met him as well?"

"Yeah. At a few parties."

Rei shook her head, hardly believing that Allen had been hiding all this from her for the last few months. She did not have time to voice her opinion, however. The female model, a famous European woman whom Rei recognized to be Kate Schrödlich, arrived, dressed in nothing but sexy black lingerie, and the photo shoot began soon after; Rei simply took out her math textbook and grew immersed in its pages.

"You're incredible," Allen said with a trace of sarcasm. "You still _study_ when the model who was named 'Most Beautiful' is right in front of you? I admire your perseverance, Rei."

"It doesn't work half as well as I'd like," murmured Rei in return, deciding not to voice that it was awkward to watch Kanda be all touchy-feely with an almost naked woman. "I had a very difficult time concentrating yesterday. Kanda-san can be very…captivating."

Allen snorted. "Sure."

They lapsed into silence as Allen took out a notepad and pen, taking notes on Cross's suggestions and commands as well as his methods of photography. Rei could hear the photographer's orders faintly in the back of her head ("Turn more to the right, Kanda." "Kate, tilt your head. Rest it on his shoulder." "No, we need to see more of your face, Kanda."). After a half hour's worth of working, however, Cross's words seemed to start boring into Rei's head, and she found it increasingly hard to concentrate. Her jade eyes trailed over to the shoot; she was surprised to see that Kanda was scowling quite deeply, and it wasn't for the purpose of work.

"Kanda, if you don't get closer to her, this photo is going to look incredibly unnatural," scolded Cross. "_Get closer._"

"I am close enough," snapped Kanda.

"You're not even touching her!"

Kanda let out an angry snarl and pressed Kate Schrödlich against the wall, his arm in front of her chest.

"Is this better?"  
"Once you wipe that snarl off your face."

Rei was no longer paying attention to calculus at all, her eyes instead narrowed at the scene taking place.

"Stop scowling, Kanda."

"I'm _not_."

"What the hell? Yes, you are!"

"I'm _obviously_ not scowling, Marian."

"Damn," Allen whispered. "It looks like Kanda's getting pissed." He did not seem sorry. "I guess he's never had this much trouble before…"

Rei simply pursed her lips together. Was it just her, or was Kanda shivering slightly? Were his lips tinged blue, or was that just the lighting? She looked up at the lights. None of them were blue. Well, that should've been obvious.

Cross resumed taking the pictures, and for a few minutes, there was silence.

"I'm not feeling anything coming from you, Kanda," the photographer said finally. "There aren't any vibes. Nothing eye-catching, nothing alluring. Don't tell me you can only shoot with your girlfriend? Because if that's it, your abilities are pretty limited as a model."

"I think we need a break," said Rei sharply, her words cutting through the stunned silence after Cross's accosting words.

The photographer peered at her over his spectacles, thinking.

"Yeah, let's have a break. Walker, get over here."

"Yes, sir."

Allen scampered up from his seat and headed towards the red-haired teacher while Kanda and Kate separated. Rei set her book down and headed straight out the door and into the hallway. It took her a while to find what she was looking for: a vending machine.

There was a set of machines at the end of the corridor, one for cold drinks, one for warm. She scanned the menu. What did Kanda like? It suddenly occurred to her that she had never really read one of his interviews, didn't really know anything about him. She scowled. Well, he _had_ to like tea. And green tea was the most generic kind there was, so it wasn't like he could hate it.

Rei dug into her pocket and took out a hundred yen coin. The machine accepted it, and after a small beep, Rei took the steaming cup from the machine dispenser and went back towards the studio. She dropped by the salon on the way, shouldered Kanda's Prada jacket, and reentered the workplace. The Japanese model was sitting alone at the table that Rei had deserted a few minutes ago, his brow furrowed as he seemed to be perusing a book. Only when she got closer did she see that it was her calculus text.

Before Rei got into speaking range, an assistant approached Kanda nervously and set a glass of iced water beside him. He looked incredulously at it and simply shook his head, leaving the glass untouched. Rei gave a sigh and walked to his side.

"Hey," she said when she was at his shoulder.

His head snapped up, anger lighting in his eyes. "Where the hell've you been—you were the one who suggested a break, and then you just disappeared—"

"Here," she said a bit frostily, setting the hot cup of green tea in front of him.

Kanda simply stared at it.

"I thought that you would cold, seeing as we came here on a non-heated vehicle in winds that make outside seem less than zero degrees, and then you're shooting half-naked in a room that's probably as cold as outside. You haven't had time to warm up. I'm guessing that's what made you a bit off today." She tossed the jacket at him. "I took the liberty of getting your jacket; sorry if I got it dirty because, you know, I'm really rather unkempt," she added on a sardonic note as she slid down in her original seat.

Kanda slid his hands into the coat and took the tea in his hands, sipping it. Color seemed to return to his white face.

"Marian's being a bit inconsiderate," remarked Rei as she plucked her calculus book away from Kanda and opened it up to her lesson. "Just because he likes the freaking cold doesn't mean everyone else does. Why didn't you complain?"

"Models are supposed to work in all types of weather," replied Kanda indifferently. "We shoot beach scenes in the middle of winter, we wear fur coats in the heat of the summer…this isn't supposed to be something we complain about."

"Well, you should be happy that I did. You seemed to be having some trouble."

"I was _not_ having trouble."

"Please, Kanda-san. A little humility would do you wonders of good, you know."

"I was doing fine," Kanda said stubbornly before changing the subject. "What the hell are you reading?"

"Calculus."

"It looks terrible."

"It's difficult," admitted Rei, "but there's something oddly satisfying about it. I like it."

"Freak."

"Jerk," retorted Rei. "You should be thankful that I got you a break, tea, and your jacket. I was thinking it would soften you up—I guess I was wrong. You're really not worth my one hundred yen."

Kanda scoffed. "Cheapskate."

He was definitely not worth it. Only the barest respect for her employer kept Rei's tongue in check.

"What are you studying for?" asked Kanda.

"Midterms."

"Aren't those weeks away? Why're you studying so soon?"

"Because I'm working for you," responded Rei shortly. "I don't have time to study otherwise…"

"You in high school?"

"Yeah."

"Which one?"

"Black Order."

"Isn't that the one with Komui Lee as the director?"

"Yeah," Rei said, surprised. "Do you know him?"

"I know his sister."

"Who's his sister?" said Rei, confused.

Kanda arched a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "Lenalee."

Rei gaped.

"You're _joking_!"

"I would know my own girlfriend's sibling."

For some reason, hearing Kanda say himself that Lenalee was his girlfriend made Rei feel uncomfortable. What was that strange feeling in her stomach? Bubbling acidly…like a deadweight. At that moment, Kate Schrödlich waltzed over, now properly clad in a bathrobe. She looked at Rei with a contemptuous look before turning to Kanda, her expression now most seductive.

"Kanda-san?" she said in breathy, accented Japanese. "Marian-san says we're ready to begin again."

"Oh, right."

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah," said Kanda bluntly, setting the empty cup on the table and shrugging the jacket off his shoulders. "Go ahead."

Kate gave a purring nod and glided back to the set. Kanda hung his jacket over the back of his chair, but it kept sliding off awkwardly, too big for the chair's back.

"I'll get it," Rei said brusquely, angry with Kanda for an unknown reason and angry at herself for being angry. She stood up and took the jacket from his hands, heading without another word to the make-up room.

"Hey." She felt a hand pull her shoulder and stopped, turning around, bemused. Kanda was looking at her with an unnatural expression on his face.

"What is it?" she inquired, anxious to get away and clear her head.

"Thanks," he mumbled.

"What?"

"I said 'thanks,'" he said a bit louder. "For the tea."

Rei gave him a strange look, uncertain how to take his appreciation.

"No problem," she said uncomfortably. "It's my job."

Kanda gave a shrug and went back to the set while Rei took the coat back into the salon, her breathing quicker than normal. She took a few seconds in the empty mirrored room to calm herself down and regain stability of mind. When she returned, Kanda had already begun modeling well, his blue eyes as energized and piercing as ever. As she sat back down in her seat, she heard Cross speak.

"Yeah, that's loads better," he said, impressed. "Good, now I can feel that aura of enticement…oh, you're keeping that aloofness as well. Interesting mixture. A bit closer. Wrap your arms around her neck and waist."

Kanda, who was standing behind Kate, obeyed, and glided his arms in the designated positions.

"Great. Kate, look seduced."

Like that was hard…any girl was capable of looking that way when Kanda Yuu was around. Kate looked at Kanda with a dreamy look, which Rei supposed was "seduced."

"Good, keep looking away from the camera and at him. You, Kanda, keep your face at her neck, almost like you're kissing it. Good, now, a full-blast look at the camera. Energy—capture your viewer…" The camera shutter clicked. "Perfect."

The process dragged on for the rest of the night evening, very smoothly and quickly. Rei was mesmerized. She thought she saw Allen smirking at her from the corner of her eye, but it was very hard to pay attention to her classmate when Kanda was looking so unbelievably beautiful, even more so than the night before. She left her calculus book untouched the entire night.

* * *

"Thank God it's over," groaned Kanda as the two of them exited to the garage. "I thought I wouldn't be able to stand another second with that Kate woman."

"She was very entranced with you," said Rei, handing him the helmet as she climbed onto the motorcycle.

"Were you?"

The question caught her off guard, making Rei silent.

"Ha," scoffed Kanda. "How easy."

"I'll admit that your modeling ability is impressive," said Rei edgily. "But your ability at human interaction is lamentable, and you're an insufferable jerk. Now get on; I have school tomorrow."

"Tomorrow's Saturday."

"…Oh, yeah."

"Clueless," Kanda said condescendingly as he sat down beside her and hooked his arms around her waist. She could feel her heart beat a little quicker at the contact.

"Ready?" she said through gritted teeth.

"Yeah."

Rei revved the engine and sped the motorcycle out of the garage. Within seconds, they were back on the now fairly empty streets. The snow had stopped falling, though there was a fresh, untouched sheet laying on the side of the streets, pure and glistening. It must have been snowing throughout the entire evening. Rei chanced a look at the sky; no sign of a cloud.

"Looks like there won't be any snow tomorrow," she commented, stopping at a red light.

"Thank goodness," Kanda's distorted voice said. "And why are you stopping?"

"Because the light's red."

"You charged it on the way here."

"We were pressed for time then. Now, we can afford to be law-abiding citizens."

The sound of sirens suddenly appeared behind her; she could see the bright flashing lights in her side mirrors.

"What the hell?" said Kanda.

"Oh, shit."

"What?"

"I don't have a helmet," Rei said weakly as she saw the officer signaling for her to pull over.

"…Shit."

"I don't have a license…"

"And I'm Kanda Yuu…"

There was a moment's silence as neither of them moved an inch.

"Shit," they said again simultaneously.

"Run for it," said Kanda.

"I can't! That's an even greater offense!"

"You're a fast driver; you can outrace them!"

"But—"

"Do you _know_ what it's going to be like the moment they tell me to take off this helmet? It will be fangirl heaven, and you, nor I, will be looking all that great at the end of it. I'm ordering you as your employer—RUN."

She could see the officer getting out of his car. It was now or never. Rei gunned the acceleration, and with an exhilarating vroom, the motorcycle tires screeched and zoomed off at a speed that Rei would've never dared to go at before.

"_I HATE YOU, KANDA YUU_!" she screamed over the roaring winds of acceleration.

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" he shouted back.

"HOW THE HELL IS THIS MY FAULT?" she shrieked. "IT WAS YOUR FREAKING CAR THAT BROKE DOWN! AND NOW I'M DRIVING AT 200 KILOMETERS PER HOUR WITHOUT A LICENSE AND WITH A POLICEMAN ON MY TAIL—THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!"

"GET HOME AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT!"

Rei swore loudly and swerved into a deserted alleyway.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Kanda bellowed.

"Losing them!" she said, dodging a trashcan. She could see the trash fly out of it; she secretly hoped it would splatter over Kanda's clothes.

The Naked KTM emerged from the alleyway and immediately turned onto another road, back toward Kanda's residence. The flashing lights were now in front of them.

"Good one!" Kanda yelled.

"Shut up," snarled Rei before doing a 360 and racing away. She could hear the sirens fade away behind her.

"We can't go back to your apartment!" she shouted. "Downtown's overflowing with policemen and people!"

"Go back to your apartment!"

Deciding that it was best not to argue, Rei obeyed and set toward her new destination.

Within five minutes, Rei had successfully parked in the garage and they were racing up the stairs, saving their screaming match for the interiors of the apartment.

Rei slammed open the door and shut the door forcefully behind Kanda, who took his helmet off quickly. His face was flushed from the experience.

"It's not my fault," Rei said sharply before he could say a word, her voice hoarse from the screaming.

"It sure as hell wasn't mine. You should've been wearing a helmet."

"I GAVE YOU MINE!"

"You should've had an extra," Kanda said breathlessly.

Rei opened her mouth furiously to yell back at the unbelievable idiot, but Kanda's cell suddenly rang, and he dug into his pocket and answered it.

"Hello?" he said into it.

There was a slight pause.

"I'm at Matsumomo's house," said Kanda. "Yeah, we got into a bit of trouble on the way back, so come pick me up here."

Another pause.

"_No_, she's not sending me back, she doesn't have another helmet; that's what we got in trouble for. Come pick me up. Now."

Kanda shut the phone with a snap and turned his attention back to her. Rei was glaring at him angrily.

"Let's stop blaming each other," he said wearily. "It's a stupid idea."

He took a look around her house.

"This place isn't half bad," he remarked. "I was expecting some run-down shack or something."

"My dad did pretty well," she replied icily, heading to the kitchen for something to eat. "Of course, after he left, I haven't been able to keep up with rent, so I'm probably going to be kicked out of here sooner or later."

Kanda followed her to the kitchen, his eyes glancing around.

"Do you want something?" she asked out of hostess politeness.

"Just something warm to drink."

"Tea?"

"Sure."

"What are you doing, dieting?" she scoffed as she started the teapot and stuck a container of canned soup in the microwave. "Having to retain your figure?"

"Ha," he laughed sarcastically. "No, I'm just not hungry. I, unlike you, eat in moderation."

"What makes you think that I eat a lot?"

He pointed to the empty boxes of take-out stacked in the corner of the kitchen.

"Fine, so I do," she said shortly. "But I skip lunch, so I'm always hungry at dinner."

"That's so unhealthy."

"Here's your red tea, health freak."

She set a steaming mug in front of him and dug her spoon into the miso soup. It was a bit too salty, but its warmth was good nevertheless. Kanda was looking at her intently.

"What?" she said warily.

"Why'd your dad leave?" he asked.

She looked at him, startled.

"I have no idea," she said when she recollected her thoughts. "I…I thought it was because he had work to do or something."

"Did it not occur to you that he could've been kidnapped?"

"No sign of a skirmish, he didn't leave the house the night he disappeared…it seemed just voluntary."

"He hasn't sent any money? Nothing?"

"No."

"You could've been abandoned," Kanda said.

"I know that," said Rei hotly. "Kindly refrain from sticking your obnoxiously large nose in my family's business; you're just my employer. You wouldn't understand."

Kanda remained silent, thankfully. The tense quietness carried on until it was broken by Kanda's ringtone.

"Hello?" he answered it. "Are you here?"

Rei finished her soup as Kanda listened to Reever.

"I'll be down in a second."

He closed the phone and pushed the empty mug at her.

"I'll be leaving now."

"Yeah, I'll send you down."

She slipped into her house shoes as Kanda fit his dress shoes over his feet. Without bothering to lock the door, Rei followed Kanda down the stairs.

"Say," he said suddenly, "do you have a cell phone?"

"Yeah."

"Give me your number through infrared."

Rei pulled out her phone from her pocket and clicked it against Kanda's. His expression was disdainful as he studied hers.

"What _model_ is that?" he said, disgusted. "That looks ancient."

"Could you stop doing that?"

"What?"

"Insulting every little thing about me," she replied coolly. "It's aggravating."

They arrived at the entrance of the subdivision, where Reever was anxiously waiting in the cold with the sleek Rolls Royce. Kanda turned to her.

"Hey, how much does it cost for a month here?"

"Hm? Oh…around two hundred thousand a month…"

"That's pretty pricey."

She shrugged. "Well, it's in a nice location. Not far from school. And it's rather spacious."

Kanda seemed to be debating whether or not to say something.

"What is it?" Rei said with an arched eyebrow.

"Look, it was actually kind of fun today," he said in a rush.

"…Fun?"

"Running from the police," he explained. Disturbed with his words, he ran a hand through his hair and continued. "It was just sort of…different. Riding the motorbike instead of the car, speeding and breaking the rules…it was fun."

"I…I suppose it was. It wouldn't have been fun if we got caught though."

"…Let me drive one day."

"…My bike?"

"Yeah."

"Hell, no."

"I know how to drive; it'll be fine."

"_Hell, no_."

"I'll buy you a new one if I crash it," Kanda smirked. "So don't worry. Let me have a spin some time." He prepared to leave. "See you tomorrow morning."

"Yeah, see you tomo—wait, what?"

"You don't have school tomorrow. Might as well work."

"No, I have to study!"

"Too bad."

Kanda smirked and gave a lazy wave in a suave manner that only he could pull off. Rei felt something strange in her system as she waved back at the car, watching it race away in the distance. Snow floated down in front of her. She stood at the doorstep, alone, her feet freezing. But for some reason, she did not move, and instead brought her palms up, catching the snowflakes. Her prediction had been off. It was going to snow tomorrow.

Everything was off.


	4. Materialistic Makeover

**Chapter 4: Materialistic Makeover**

Rei woke up the next morning to her phone ringtone, its melody breaking through the silence of her room as loudly as a cannon blast. Groggily, she lifted her violently vibrating phone in front of her and opened the text message from an unrecognized number.

"Be at Gucci in ten minutes. You're fired if you're late," she read aloud slowly.

Only one person could've sent that.

It took a few seconds to sink in.

When it did, the bodyguard bolted upright and shrieked, "WHAT THE HELL?" before racing off to the bathroom.

_Kanda Yuu, I will _kill_ you one day_, she thought furiously as she rinsed her mouth and dressed in one minute flat. Not bothering to brush her hair, she ran back into her room, tossing on a jacket and getting her helmet while shouldering her bag, took out her keys and immediately headed for the garage. Within seconds, she was out flying on the salted roads.

An endless stream of curses and unprintable swear words was muttered under her breath as she charged an infinite number of red lights, screeched to a stop in the Gucci parking lot, and raced up the stairs to the studio from last night. She arrived, banging open the door and doubled over, clutching a stitch in her chest.  
"I'm…here…" she said raggedly, struggling to breathe.

Kanda was in the corner of the room, and Rei could see his blue eyes flicker to the clock hanging on the wall.

"You're a minute late," he said sharply.

Rei took in a deep breath in order to begin the tirade she had planned on the way there.

"DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS?" she shouted.

"Of course," he replied calmly.

"IT'S FUCKING SIX-THIRTY IN THE MORNING—ON A SATURDAY!" she bellowed. "AND HOW COULD YOU EXPECT ME TO GET HERE IN TEN MINUTES IF I WAS STILL ASLEEP!"

"Well you got here in eleven, so I suppose that's excusable," said Kanda. "But your appearance is not. You look atrocious."

"You expected me to be able to even present myself properly in that time frame?" she said coldly.

"Yeah," shrugged Kanda. "But whatever, I suppose no matter what you did, you couldn't do anything about your appearance. So…"

He waved at a few passing assistants, one male, one female, and they walked over.

"Take _her_," he jerked a finger in Rei's direction, "and _fix her_."

The woman gave Rei an appraising look while the man simply stared. Rei rolled her eyes.

"I don't need to be _fixed_," she said icily. "If you told me to come here so early in the damn morning for a freaking makeover, I'm going straight back home and sleeping."

"You'll thank me by the end of it," said Kanda. "I need her done in a few hours, so get to work, you two."

The model disappeared into the studio.

"I'm Satoshi," the man said, walking up to her and extending a hand. "I'm a hairstylist. This here," he gestured at his partner, "is Satomi-san. She's a make-up artist."

"Pleased to meet you," Satomi murmured, extending a hand as well.

Rei shook both of their hands hurriedly.

"Listen, I know I'm a lost case, and that I'm really not up to par with the people you normally work with. You guys don't want to do this," she said, "and frankly, I don't really _care_ how I look, so if there's really nothing else to do, and we're all happy, can I just go back home?"

"Well, Kanda-san told us to do this, so we can't really disagree," answered Satomi. "You're really not ugly, you know. Just a bit…"

"Disheveled?" Rei suggested. "Yeah, I get that a lot, just with harsher terminology. But seriously. I don't care. It doesn't get in the way of my work. And right now, I really want to sleep."

"Too bad," said Satoshi cheerfully, steering her with a surprisingly strong grip on her shoulder towards a chair. "Orders are orders. So, to business. How long has it been since you've cut your hair?"

"…A few years?"

"I thought so. You have split ends, and the length is abominable. If it was permed, maybe it would be more acceptable, but the fact that it's straight at such a length is rather unattractive."

"Kanda's hair is almost as long as mine," said Rei shortly as she was forced to sit down in a cushioned chair in front of the mirrored walls.

"He's different," said Satoshi seriously. "So, after I finish with you, Satomi-san will take care of your make-up."

"Have you used it before?" Satomi asked.

"…Not…really?"

"That's fine," said Satomi congenially. "I'll just teach you the basics, and then I'll give you some sample products and tell you how to use them."

"Okay…" Rei said uneasily, feeling more and more out of place in the sophisticated room.

Satoshi draped a cover sheet under Rei's neck and laid her chair back, letting Rei's hair fall into a deep black basin. A few minutes of silence passed as the hairstylist washed and shampooed her long hair; he then positioned her upright.

"A trim for split ends," he said, twirling a pair of scissors expertly in his hand. "And then, I'm thinking a perm…what do you suggest, Satomi-san?"

"A perm would be nice," the make-up artist agreed, looking up from her magazine. "With her kind of facial structure…well, her face is a bit narrow…you'd probably want to go for pretty loose curls, subtle, you know?"

"Yes, that's what I thought as well. Bangs as well. Side-swept is probably a good idea."

He began to snip away, the sounds of the scissors echoing through the rather deserted salon. Rei sat still, her eyes fixated on her reflection. Despite her initial hesitation, she could not help but feel excited. Beauty had never been her forte— her strength lied in her physical abilities—and actually being able to become a, well, _feminine_ girl was something she hadn't anticipated. The prospect of perhaps becoming somewhat along the lines of those famous models she'd get used to seeing was welcoming. She would, however, never for the life of her actually say those thoughts aloud; she didn't want to give Kanda any satisfaction knowing that he had actually done something right.

Minutes passed, maybe a little less than an hour, and when Rei looked up at the mirror, she saw that Satoshi had cut off a good bit of hair, though the length still fell well past her shoulders. He was wrapping curlers around her hair and connecting it to the perm machine above her head.

"This will take a little while," he explained, fixing the last curler in place. "Try not to move around, even if your neck hurts. Satomi-san, do you have an idea for her make-up already?"

"Yeah," she said, flipping the page of her magazine. "I'm just waiting for you to finish."

"It should take an hour or so."

"An hour?" groaned Rei, whose neck was already starting to cramp up.

"I'll massage you," Satoshi offered.

"N-no, that's quite all right—"

But the stylist was already beginning to rub her shoulders, and Rei did not bother to complain, because it did feel quite relaxing. If Kanda's life consisted of constant massages like this…what a great life he led indeed.

The hour passed by rather uneventfully; when it was almost over, Reever entered the room to check that Rei was there.

"Hello, Rei-san. You're looking pretty uncomfortable there."

"I am," she grumbled. "What's Kanda-san doing? Still working?"

"He's…eh…he's not working. Cross isn't much of a morning person—most of his work takes place at night."

"So what's Kanda-san doing?"

"…Stuff."

"What stuff?" Rei persisted. "I didn't come here at six in the morning for him to do _stuff_."

"I was choosing out an outfit for you," Kanda's icy voice came from behind her.

Rei could see his reflection enter the room; he was followed by several attendants with shopping bags in their hands. She could read the labels of Gucci, D&G, Chanel, Coach…the list went on and on.

"What's that for?" she said, slightly repulsed. After seeing so many brand names on Aiko's belongings, she'd developed an innate aversion to them.

"For you," said Kanda wearily, sitting down on the couch and stretching his limbs out over it. "You think I could let you go out in public wearing what you came in with?"

"…Yes?"

"You're an idiot," said the model scathingly. "Is she almost finished?" His question was directed to Satoshi.

"Yeah," the stylist said, beginning to remove the curlers. "We'll just wash her hair through once and let the curls settle naturally."

"You should've just cut all her hair off," Kanda remarked, taking a cup of tea from an assistant. "That length of hair on women is ugly."

"So long hair on men is attractive?" said Rei disbelievingly.

"It is on me," said Kanda indifferently.

Rei opened her mouth to retort, but shut it when she realized that she could not refute his statement. Kanda _did_ look good with long hair. He looked good with anything.

Kanda simply smirked at her silence and turned his attention to a stack of magazines that was laying on a nearby table.

"Che," he scoffed, picking one up and looking at the cover, "Mikk's on the front page again."

Rei's interest was perked.

"Tyki Mikk?" she said engagingly. "Front page of what?"

"Vogue International," Kanda said with a bit of distaste. "Though exactly _what_ people see in him…"

"He's sexy," shrugged Rei as Satoshi leaned her hair back into the basin and washed it through.

"Che. That's the only thing he advertises. Sex."

"And the only thing you advertise is indifference," said Rei under her breath.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Kanda sighed and began flipping through the pages of the magazine while Satoshi blew Rei's hair dry. Her hair was now surprisingly soft, with loose curls that trailed down her shoulders in waves. It wasn't a drastic change, but Rei had to admit that she did look a bit cleaner…not to mention that her bangs made her look older.

Satomi walked over, smiling.

"You did a good job, Satoshi-san," she said. "She looks much better."

"It's up to you now," Satoshi laughed. "I hope you like it, Rei-san."

"Yeah, thanks."

"No problem."

"…Do I need to pay you?" Rei blurted out.

"No, no," chuckled Satoshi. "I think Kanda-san's got that covered."

"Not like she could afford it anyway," said Kanda from across the room.

Rei scowled.

"Don't make that face," Satomi said chidingly. "I need you to relax in order for me to work on you."

It was a long yet strangely refreshing process. Rei went through mask after mask, then lotion after lotion, and finally, the makeup.

"You probably know this already, but this is eyeliner," said Satomi, spinning a long pencil over in her hand.

As a matter of fact, Rei _did_ know that.

"Now, you don't want to look too bold—"

"No," Kanda cut her off.

Satomi looked up at him, surprised.

"Sorry?"

"Make it bold," said Kanda. "As dark and as much eyeliner as you can without making her look Gothic; you need her vibe to be daring. As a bodyguard, she needs to emit confidence through her eyes. Without the color, she looks too timid; people are going to push her off to the side."

"I see," said Satomi, understanding. "All right then, well, in this case, Rei-san, you want your eyes to sort of pop out. But if you're going to school and such, and want to keep a low profile, you can put less on."

Satomi had Rei close her eyes through the entire process. Occasionally, the makeup artist spoke up and gave Rei a few tips, but eventually, Rei stopped listening all together. Was she _really_ going to actually use makeup on a daily basis? But then again, if she was going to be working everyday and not get fired…well…maybe it wouldn't hurt to listen.

Minutes passed, and just when Rei was going to crack from sitting still for so long, Satomi told her that she could open her eyes. Rei did, and stared at her reflection.

She was still recognizable under all the makeup, thank goodness. Her eyes really did seem to pop abnormally out of her face, looking extraordinarily large, but the green irises were prominent against her pale skin in a sort of electrifying way, accentuated by the dark black eyeliner around her eyes. Her lips were highlighted with a dark pink color. Her makeover was bold, daring, exciting. She liked it. A lot.

"Well, Kanda-san?" Satomi said, spinning Rei around in her chair.

Kanda gave her an evaluating look.

"I suppose that's the best we can do," he said, sighing.

She scowled. Not even one word of compliment? But then again…what was she expecting? That she actually looked…pretty? There was a swooping, unsettling feeling in her stomach. Disappointment? Hell, no…

"All right, here, I got a couple sets of clothes chosen out. I think they're around your size…"

Kanda gestured to the bags. "Get dressed. I'll meet you at the car in ten."

"Wait," Rei sputtered, "where are we going?"

"I told you, we're going in public," he said acerbically, annoyed that she hadn't been paying attention. "I have to make my way on the 'red carpet' to a gathering at Vogue headquarters—they want to do a shoot. Since it's Saturday and a publicized event, there's going to be a hell lot of girls, and it's going to be bad. You need to get me through the crowd. So hurry up."

He walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him with a clack. Rei blew out a breath and went to the packages, pulling out box after box.

"Satomi-san, if you don't mind…could you help?" she asked.

"By all means," the makeup artist said amiably, striding to her side. She opened a package. "Dear goodness…these are all the latest styles…oh my…he's left the price tags on as well…"

Hearing that he'd left the price tags, Rei immediately shuffled through the tissue paper and lifted up a tight-fitting black blouse, searching for the tag. Her eyes widened.

"HOLY—" she gasped. "This is thirty thousand yen! _For a shirt!_"

"This would be good," Satomi said, not listening to her and opening another box, revealing a pair of slacks. "Here, this matches the blouse well—all black is professional-looking, and since you're a bodyguard, that'd be most appropriate. I think I saw a pair of Chanel sunglasses here…yes, here you go. Go change quickly—Kanda-san is never late."

Rei ducked behind a curtain and changed hastily. She was almost finished buttoning her blouse when Satomi opened the curtain.

"Here," she said, ignoring Rei's exclamation of surprise and holding up a pair of stilettos. "Wear these."

"I can't walk properly in them!"

"Practice," Satomi smiled. "Women need good posture, and these aren't terribly high. Oh, and here's your sunglasses."

She handed the Coach high heels and the Chanel sunglasses over as she looked Rei up and down.

"Looks like Kanda-san got your sizes down perfectly. You look good. Ready? Okay, here's your bag; I already changed all the contents of your old purse to this new one. Oh, and here's a belt and holster for your gun."

Rei took everything, wildly confused. She dashed out the door after a brief word of thanks to Satomi, buckled the belt tightly around her waist, fit her pistol in its holster, and jumped off the last flight of stairs to the main entrance. Her landing was terribly ungraceful due to the heels; she winced at the impact but did not slow down, stopping only to catch her breath once she'd gotten into the backseat of Kanda's limo.

"Finally," said Kanda impatiently without looking at her. "Goodness, that took forever."

"You know, common sense and self-preservation say that you look at who comes in your car when the door opens," Rei said sourly. "What if it wasn't me? What if it was a kidnapper? Use your head once in a while."

"Yeah, well that's your job…" Kanda's voice trailed off as he turned to look at her, his eyes glancing up and down her profile. "Yeah, my fashion taste is a hell lot better than yours."

"Thanks for stating the obvious."

"You look so much more presentable."

"I suppose that's the most of a compliment that I'm going to get out of you…"

Kanda smirked.

"Let's just hope your makeup holds until after we get inside the building. If we're unlucky, we'll both look hideous when we arrive."

* * *

Rei had never seen so many screaming girls in the same place at the same time. The moment Kanda alighted the car, his blue eyes shielded by a pair of sunglasses, he was greeted by an enormous surge of volume. The screams could be heard from miles away; Rei could've sworn her ears were going to break.

"Out of the way, out of the way!" several accompanying policemen shouted, trying to hold off the horde of girls.

"Why aren't you doing your job, Matsumomo?" yelled Kanda.

Rei struggled out of the car and took the lead, pushing ecstatic and swooning females aside.

"Why the hell are you so important?" she said, frustrated, taking his wrist and dragging him close behind her. "Hurry up! If we get separated, you're never going to get out of here!"

Rei could hear the girls scream obscenities at her, telling her to get out of the way. All of them were trying to see Kanda, to touch him, and Rei was pushed from side to side rather forcibly. She gritted her teeth. Matsumomo Rei had been trained very well by her father to kick any full-grown man's ass, and yet she was having problems with a thousand hysteric girls? The shame…

Rei stood her ground and dragged Kanda behind her, overlooking the fact that they were extremely close to each other. After a good ten minutes of shuffling and pushing, the two of them finally arrived in the lobby, where the policemen bolted the doors behind them. Rei took a few seconds to recover.

"You…" she said breathlessly, "you live with _that_ everyday?"

"Yeah, now you know my pain," said Kanda, taking off his sunglasses calmly and sticking them in the inner pocket of his jacket. "Today's wasn't half bad, actually. Try to get me to my destination faster, Matsumomo. Ten minutes is way too long."

"My bad," she snarled.

A receptionist greeted them, her eyes fluttering and cheeks blushing when she saw Kanda, and led them to the studio room. Rei sat down on a loveseat as Kanda was led away to prepare.

"Oh, and by the way, you're not getting paid for today," he said before he left.

"Wait. WHAT?"

Kanda raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "I mean, I _did_ pay for all the clothes and the makeover. And you also have to let me drive your motorcycle sometime."

"Who said you could make all the rules?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "I did. I'm the boss."

Rei decided not to answer to that. Though she was furious about not getting paid, she had to admit that Kanda's life sucked to some degree. Being surrounded by millions of girls whenever he went in public…she shook her head, her eyes following his fading figure unconsciously.

Rei got to school on Monday rather late, so the classroom was already full when arrived at the door; she could hear the loud sound of chattering through the wall. She took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Whoa," said Allen once he realized she was there.

His loud exclamation drew the attention of others, and slowly the classroom grew into a hush. Rei frowned.

"Why're you all staring at me?" she said crudely.

"Are those the new Coach Selena boots?" gasped Aiko, staring at Rei's shoes.

Rei looked down at her boots.

"Maybe? I think so. All I know is that they do wonders in the snow."

"And is that a Burberry trench coat?"

"…I think so."

"How in the world could you afford that, you commoner? Just last Friday, you were wearing those horrible loafers! And…ohmigosh, you got a perm! And it looks like it's a good one too! And you're wearing makeup!"

"Nice," sniggered Allen. "The littlest things excite them; man, Rei, you must've been really insignificant before…"

"I'll be taking my seat now," said Rei icily, annoyed by Allen's biting statement, true as it was. Aesthetics were seriously overrated.

Allen leaned over the edge of his desk to talk with her. Rei turned to him, trying to avoid Aiko's furious and probing gaze.

"So explain," he said quietly. "I'm guessing Kanda did this?"

"Yeah. The perm, the clothes, the makeup…I just did the makeup in the morning because I have to go to work directly after school, and I'm probably not going to have time to put it on."

"Rei, that takes, like, five minutes."

"It took me six times that long this morning," she said feverishly. "To hell with eyeliner…I think I poked myself in the eye about ten times."

"Well, I think you did a decent job," said Allen encouragingly, looking over her makeup. "Oh, you got a smudge there…"

"Forget it, I don't care."

"Man, Kanda must be nicer than I thought, to give you all this for free."

"For free?" she hissed. "Free, my ass! That guy's such a miser! I didn't get paid the entire weekend because of this crap! And I didn't even want it! _And_ he texted me at six in the morning on a _Saturday_ telling me to get to Gucci in ten minutes or that I was fired. That guy is _evil_, I swear."

"Good to know that we both don't like him," Allen said happily.

"You're in an awfully good mood," frowned Rei. "Aren't you supposed to be sympathetic to my plight?"

"Yeah, but—"

"Well, so you must've just won the lottery or something, if you were able to get all those brand name clothes," Aiko's loud voice carried over to them from her desk.

Rei rolled her eyes.

"What do you want, Satsuma?"

"I just wanted to let you know that you shouldn't be getting all high and mighty just because your attire fits in with ours now," she sniffed. "Because you can never be on our level."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that you'll never be able to hang with the high-society class. After all…" she smiled venomously, "I'm the one invited to the social gathering this weekend at Gucci, and Kanda Yuu is going to be there."

"Lovely," Rei said acidly, turning back to Allen. The white-haired boy was smiling mischievously. "What're you grinning so widely about?"

"Nothing," he said cheerfully.

Rei's green eyes narrowed. "Tell me."

"Nothing," he repeated. "It's just that Kanda's not going to be the only one there."

Rei arched an eyebrow. "You'll be there too?"

"Yep, as Shishou's assistant. But that's not all."

"Who else?"

Allen was positively beaming.

"Lenalee Lee."


	5. Surprise and Party

**Chapter 5: Surprise and Party**

"Miranda!"

An attractive Chinese girl emerged from the bathroom of a well-furnished apartment, her long hair wrapped up in a towel.

"Miranda!" she called again. "Jeez, where is she?"

"I'm r-right here, Lenalee-san!"

The nervous-looking manager came out of the kitchen, holding a pot of tea in one hand.

"Jeez, Miranda, reply sooner! I thought you'd disappeared!"

"S-sorry," smiled Miranda apologetically. "Some tea, Lenalee-san?"

"That would be delightful."

Lenalee sat down on a couch and turned the television on as Miranda handed her a steaming mug.

"Thanks, Miranda." Lenalee continued flipping through the channels as she sipped her tea. "Oh!"

"What is it?"

Lenalee pointed at the T.V., her brown eyes twinkling.

"It's Kanda-san!" she said cheerfully.

The program seemed to be a special in-depth analysis of the reserved Kanda Yuu. The woman who was presenting the show was speaking rather enthusiastically, gesturing her hands wildly as she tried to epitomize Kanda's persona under one word.

"And here we are with Kanda Yuu, revolutionary model of Asia!" The T.V. began a slideshow of Kanda's famous photographs. "Eighteen years old, at 175 centimeters and sixty-one kilograms, this handsome young male has ninety percent of the Asian female population falling head over heels for him! Though he has yet to make the international stage, Kanda Yuu is a regular model for Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, as well as Prada. In addition to being amazingly gorgeous, Kanda Yuu is the sole heir of Froi Tiedoll, well-known CEO of Tiedoll Corporations, which is an international company that grosses over nine hundred billion yen a year, thus making Kanda Yuu one _very_ rich individual. Rumors have it that he and equally famous female model, Lenalee Lee, are engaged in a romantic relationship, but neither model has confirmed these rumors! Will we find out? Because if they are, it'd leave millions of girls across the continent brokenhearted!"

Lenalee snorted.

"Half these girls would run away once they found out Kanda-san's real personality…"

"I personally find him a…a bit scary," said Miranda anxiously.

"Oh, jeez, Miranda," sighed Lenalee as she switched off the T.V. "You've met him only once! He's a real softie under all that irascibility, you know."

"I suppose so…"

"I haven't seen him in a while," frowned Lenalee. "I miss him."

"But you'll get to see him at the end of this week!" the manager said brightly. "We'll be flying to Tokyo on Thursday!"

"So we will," Lenalee laughed. "I'm looking forward to it. I wonder if that personality of his has lightened up any…because if it hasn't, he's going to have trouble getting along with people."

"I-I'm sure he's doing better…"

"Let's hope so. Because last time I checked, he made his bodyguard cry with that spontaneity of his…"

* * *

"You're a bastard, Kanda Yuu," snarled Rei as she swerved to a stop in front of Kanda. She took off her helmet, her green eyes flashing. "It's midnight, and you say you want to ride this thing? I was asleep! A little head's up would be nice, you insufferable jerk."

"Ten minutes," said Kanda, checking his watch. "Not your best time, Matsumomo. Are you losing your touch? Because if you are…" he smirked, taking the helmet, "I'll be more than happy to take that motorcycle from you."

"Give me a break," she snapped, scooting back and letting him sit in front of her.

"You don't have to ride with me, you know. What'll happen if someone pulls us over for not wearing a helmet?"

"That'd be your problem. And there's no way in hell that I would let you drive my bike without me being on it."

"Whatever…"

Kanda slipped in front of her and grabbed the handles of the bike.

"You sure you can fly this bird?" she asked.

"You insult me." He revved the engine and the vehicle sped off, forcing Rei to hold on to his shoulders tightly. "Of course I can."

They drove along the empty streets, Rei clinging onto Kanda's shoulders. It suddenly struck her how tall he was, how broad his back was…the cold blasts of air were less noticeable as she hid her profile behind Kanda's. He seemed so…reliable, all of a sudden. She shook her head. He was her employer. And he was an idiot. There was no way, absolutely none…

A surge of annoyance at herself caused adrenaline to rush to her head, and she suddenly wanted to do something crazy, something rule-breaking in order to get her mind off of stupid thoughts…

Rei stood up, balancing herself gingerly on the footing rails on the side of the motorbike, swallowing the wind as it pelted her face.

"Go faster!" she shouted.

"I'm already going one-sixty!"

"That's pathetic, go faster!"

Kanda gunned the acceleration, and the bike sped up.

"I thought you were worried about us crashing!" he yelled over the rushing air. "'Cause if we crash right now, we're definitely dead!"

"If you're going to break the rules, you might as well break them well!"

It felt good, standing up and gripping Kanda's shoulders like a lifeline, letting the wind run through her hair. The streets were deserted, the light posts twinkled innocently, the only eyewitnesses to the two teenagers' euphoric rule-breaking.

They rode around the city limits for over an hour and finally, Kanda drove back to his apartment. Rei yawned as he got off and took off his helmet.

"Great bike," he said, smirking at the vehicle.

"I know, i-i-i-isn't it?" she said, stifling a yawn.

It must have been the dim lighting, but it seemed as if a bit of worry flashed through Kanda's azure eyes.

"You driving back home?" he asked.

"Y-yeah…" she said sleepily. "I have school tomorrow…man, you're a jerk for making me wake up and let you ride around the city…I'm too nice…"

"…Are you sure that you can drive safely back? You look dead on your feet."

"I wonder why," grumbled Rei, taking the helmet and sliding it over her head. "But yeah, I'll be fine by myself."

She was about to leave when a question popped in her head.

"Are you really going to that Gucci social gathering this Saturday?"

"Yeah," he said. "You are too."

"Oh. Well, I can't come."

"What? Why?"

"I'm being kind and leaving you time with your _girlfriend_," she said with a trace more acerbity than she intended.

"Yeah right. Why?"

"One of my classmates is going to be there, and if she finds out that I'm working for you, the entire school's going to know that I have a part-time job. And then I'll be kicked out of school. So I can't go."

"Too bad. I need a bodyguard with me, and no one else's available, so you're coming."

"I _can't_."

"If you don't come, you're fired."

"Will you _stop_ that?" she said irritably. "I've come at your every beck and call! Let me have a day to myself."

"No," he said icily. "I don't think you understand what kind of position I'm in. This gathering is important, and I'm supposed to be a major deal there. It's annoying, but I'm _rich_, Matsumomo. Or, at least, the old man is, which means that a lot of people think it's a good idea to kidnap me and get money. At places with a lot of people, it's crucial that I have a bodyguard."

"I'm being overworked," she snapped. "Get someone else."

"Then you're fired."

"You—"

"You don't have much of a voice in this," said Kanda silkily. "You're coming, whether you like it or not. If it's an incentive, you'll get a makeover and dress before we go."

"Go to hell."

"Sometimes, I wonder why I put up with you," he said tiredly.

"You wonder why _you_ put up with _me_?"

"Yeah. Well, you can leave now."

"I'd be glad to," she said coldly, all kind thoughts about him from earlier gone. Before she could manage to get away, however, he spoke up again.

"Hey, about tomorrow…"

"What?" she growled.

"…Actually, never mind. You'll find out then."

Not bothering to persist in asking, she slammed on the accelerator and sped off into the night without another word.

* * *

"Matsumomo, be so kind as to wake up," Komui's amused voice said.

Rei was out like a light. She had not even bothered to pretend that she was reading her textbook; her cheek was planted on the open pages and she was fast asleep, her arm curled around her head as she recovered from last night's ventures.

Komui gave a sigh.

"Walker, wake her up…"

Allen grinned and leaned over, shaking her on the shoulder. Rei instinctively woke up and slapped Allen's hand away, her fingers sticking into Allen's neck as a reflexive reaction.

"Gah," he gagged, "let go!"

It took a moment for her to register everything that happened, and she immediately let her classmate go. It was a good thing that Allen knew about her bodyguard status; thus, he did not question why she had attacked. Luckily, no one else had seen the entire scene, as all eyes were on Komui.

"Now," the teacher coughed, "now that Matsumomo Rei has been so kind as to rejoin us, I have some information for you." He cleared his throat. "Now…I must as that all girls in this class refrain from jumping out of their seats in excitement, screaming, or rushing forward. I understand how this can be a big deal, but please, we like order here at this high school."

"You're not making any sense, Lee-sensei," Aiko said.

"A moment, Satsuma," said Komui impatiently. "Okay, so here's the deal…"

But before they could find out what the deal was, there was a knock on the door.

"Oh, it looks like he's here. Come in!" Komui called.

The door opened, revealing…

"HOLY—"

"OH MY GOSH—"

"KILL ME NOW!"

Ear-splitting shrieks erupted in the classroom; Rei and Allen covered their ears, confused at the scene as all the girls in the class simultaneously clamored towards the door.

"SETTLE DOWN!" bellowed Komui. "All of you! Go back to your seats!"

Only when the crowd cleared off did Rei get to see what the commotion was about. Her jaw dropped.

Kanda was standing at the doorway, his expression wary of the girls, but still looking horrendously handsome in his uniform, his black hair tied in a high ponytail. His blue eyes glanced around the room, landing on Rei. He smirked as he saw her expression.

"_You're joking_," she said, barely whispering.

She could feel someone pat her sympathetically on the back; she turned around to look at Allen.

"_Kill me_," she pleaded. "Why is he here? This isn't fair…"

"Is there a problem, Matsumomo?" said Komui sternly.

"Yes," she said weakly. "I need to go to the infirmary."

"What? What for?"

"To throw up."

"Is my impact on you that great?" smirked Kanda. "You've hyperventilated to the point of needing to regurgitate?"

"Yeah," she said wearily, standing up and heading towards the door.

"Sit down, Matsumomo," said Komui with a sigh. "Though I must say that this reaction is better than screaming."

"Yeah, it's a refreshing change," agreed Kanda, striding to the front of the room.

"Well, for introduction—" Komui began.

"Do you really need those?" said Rei as she made her way to the front of the room and towards the exit. "I mean, everyone here knows who this guy is. So I think I can afford to skip out on introductions."

"Sit down, Matsumomo."

"I really do need to go to the infirmary."

She desperately needed to sleep.

"Sit down," said Kanda with a cold sneer.

Rei glared at him, reading the flickering emotion in his blue eyes. Damn him, he was _enjoying_ this. She knew the message he was trying to convey: "Sit down or you're fired."

Rei seemed to have been doing quite a bit of snarling, scowling, and snapping as of late. It had been a long time since she'd smiled for real, never since her dad had left. She, however, mustered the muscles in her mouth to give her employer a not-very-convincing smile as she said very softly so only he could hear,

"We're at school. You're my classmate, not my boss. Don't order me around."

She shut the door behind her and headed straight to the nurse. Though she was rather demanding and fussy, the Head Matron was really quite likable, and the two of them were on good terms.

"Nurse," greeted Rei wearily as she opened the door.

The old woman looked up at her entrance and frowned.

"You sick, or are you just skipping class?"

"I'm not skipping anything," answered Rei, going to the nearest bed and laying down on it. "I dunno if you've heard, but Kanda Yuu's been introduced to our class…and I don't want to have to listen to the screaming."

"Understandable…" the Nurse said. "Well, fine then, Matsumomo, you _do_ look rather tired. You can sleep here."

Rei gratefully slumped onto the pillows and drifted off to sleep. For some reason, she had a very interesting dream about Kanda flying a motorbike on a runway.

* * *

Rei woke up to her cell phone vibrating in the folds of her blouse. She sat up groggily and took it out of the pocket, looking down at the number.

"Cell phones away during school hours, Matsumomo," the Nurse reprimanded.

"Sorry, just excuse it this once."

She flipped open the phone and read the text message from a number she hadn't bothered to save.

"I'm on the second floor by the vending machines. Come here _right now_."

Really, only one person could be such a dominating jackass.

"I'm off, then," said Rei, slipping off the bed and into her Coach boots.

"Feeling better?"

"Yes, thanks a lot."

"Only this time—next time, you can go sleep in class and be told off by Komui."

"I'll try not to. Thanks again."

With a final wave, Rei set off for the second floor, taking her time as she relished the fact that Kanda was presumably getting bombarded by hundreds of fangirls who desperately wanted a good look at him. She was not disappointed. The moment she arrived at the top of the staircase, she could hear the clamoring sounds of excitement echoing down the hall. Allen was leaning against the wall, far away from the rest of the group, a triumphant smile on his face.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey," he grinned. "Here to gloat as well?"

"I wish…" Rei held up her phone. "The idiot texted me to come and help."

"He told you to help?"  
"No. It was implied."

"Are you going to?"

"…Perhaps."

"Aw, c'mon Rei, let him suffer a bit," said Allen gleefully. "I'm having so much fun."

"You sadist. I actually feel kind of bad for him."

Her phone vibrated again violently. Rei looked down and read the following words,

"Come here RIGHT NOW or you are SO fired."

She paused for a moment as she reread it.

"On the other hand, maybe I don't feel bad."

"What'd he say?" Allen said eagerly, looking over her shoulder. "Oh, damn. You don't want to get fired…you might as well go help. I've watched for enough, anyway."

"Yeah, yeah. Come with me."

"Hell, no."

"What a great friend," she said sarcastically before walking towards the crowd.

She groaned internally. This was going to be so much worse than that time where her father left her in the mountains for a week for survival training. She took a deep breath.

"Do you guys mind moving out of the way?" she called.

No one bothered to listen to her. Rei sighed and dove into the crowd, slipping in between people, tripping people occasionally, and finally, she made it to the front of the group. Kanda looked very near the end of his self-control. The moment he saw her, he grabbed onto her shoulder and shook her ferociously.

"WHERE. THE. HELL. HAVE. YOU. BEEN?" he said loudly over the screams.

"Sleeping," she replied calmly. "Having a bit of trouble? Not my problem. Excuse me, I have to get to the vending machines."

"Matsumomo," he said warningly.

"Magic word, Kanda-san?"

"Hell, no."

Aiko grabbed onto Kanda's arm and gave him a simpering smile.

"Kanda-san, I'm _so_ excited to see you here," she said, shooting a nasty look at Rei. "Oh, please, don't bother with Matsumomo. We all apologize for her rude behavior this morning; that was just so 'commoner-like.' Please don't think that the rest of us are so impertinent."

"Good job, Satsuma," Rei said dryly as she fished her new Louis Vuitton wallet out of her pocket. "I didn't know the word 'impertinent' was in your vocabulary, but I suppose it had to, seeing that it's what your personality revolves around."

"For God's sake, Matsumomo, could you keep that tongue of yours in check for once?" Aiko said angrily. "At least in front of Kanda-san! He's disgusted with you!"

"The feeling's mutual," said Rei, beginning to grin at the angry look on Kanda's face. Offhandedly, she added, "Say 'please,' Kanda-san, and your life will be so much better."

"No. Get me out of here," he hissed out of the corner of his mouth. Another girl grabbed onto his other hand. "_NOW._"

Rei heaved a sigh and stuck a few coins in the vending machine, getting two pork buns, two bottles of juice and one can of soda.

"I should get a raise," she complained, taking Kanda by the arm. "Hang on a second…"

She shook the soda can violently. "Stand back."

Kanda obeyed, and Rei flipped open the can top, causing the carbonated liquids to squirt into the crowd. The girls screamed loudly and parted, leaving an easy way out for the model and his bodyguard. Rei took a firm grip on Kanda's forearm and quickly dragged him up the stairs to the roof of the building as the rest of the crowd confusedly looked around, trying to see where they went.

Allen was near the exit to the roof. He was smiling evilly.

"Ho, ho, the model doesn't look very happy," said Allen gaily.

"Outta the way, moyashi."

"Key, Allen," said Rei, looking behind her to see if anyone was following them.

"No problem."

Using a copied key, Allen opened the door to the roof and the three of them escaped onto the empty area, shivering slightly in the icy winds.

"Well, at least it's not snowing," said Rei, shutting the door behind her and sliding into sitting position.

Kanda took a deep breath and let it out very slowly, closing his eyes all the while.

"You can scream your lungs out in frustration if you want," suggested Rei. "We won't judge you."

"Definitely not," smirked Allen, sitting down beside his friend. "So, Kanda," he said the name with disgust, "care to tell us what the hell you're doing here at school?"

"Why don't you tell _me_ why you're here? I thought you worked for Marian."

"I do," admitted Allen. "It's part-time."

"Illegal part time," added Rei. "So please, Kanda-san, don't act like you know me when I'm at school. It makes people suspicious."

"You _want_ me to hang out with those…those freaks?"

"That's not a very nice word," remarked Allen, helping himself to some of Rei's pork bun.

"It's true," said Kanda defensively, shuddering as he recollected the memories.

"It's your fault," said Allen happily.

"My fault that what?" said Kanda sharply.

"That you're popular," shrugged Allen. "Serves you right for being a cocky idiot."

"Say that again, moyashi, and I'll kill you."

"Ha, I'd like to see you try, pretty boy," sneered Allen, an evil glint appearing in his eyes.

"You wanna bet, shorty?"

"You couldn't kill a fly, straight-fringe."

"Shut up," said Rei. The two males turned to her, dangerous looks on their faces. She continued, unperturbed. "I'm surprised you guys hate each other this much. Allen, this makes my antagonism for him seem benign."

"It is," he said fervently. "You have no idea how much I hate this guy."

"Same goes for me," snarled Kanda. "He—"

Kanda's sentence was cut off by a ringtone. They all looked at each other, temporarily silenced.

"Oh, it's mine, I forgot I changed it," Allen said, digging into his pocket and taking the phone out. He looked at the screen. "Oh, shit, it's Cross." He opened it and put it to his ear. "Hello?" A pause. "Now? Okay, fine…but I'm at school! Okay, okay, I get it. I'll be there. Twenty minutes. Fine, fine, fifteen!" He snapped it shut. "Jeez, I'm going to kill myself one day."

"At least you don't go to school with your boss," said Rei.

"Point taken. Rei, tell Komui-sensei that I'm going to be gone."

"Sick?"

"Nah…say that my aunt got cancer."

"You used that excuse last time. I think she's already dead."

"Damn. My uncle got in a car crash."

"Okay, I'll see ya later."

"Bye," said Allen, his words directed specifically to Rei. Without another word to Kanda, he left, leaving the two of them alone.

"Ugh…" Kanda sat down beside Rei, leaning heavily against the wall. "I'm so tired…crowds drain me more than ten consecutive photo shoots…"

"Here," Rei said, handing him her spare pork bun and bottle of juice. "Pay me back later."

"Che," he scoffed, taking them both. "You're a weirdo. You say you hate me and then you're actually considerate."

"I demand to get paid for school hours as well."

"No."

"Do it, or I'll go straight back to Satsuma and tell her where you are."

"…Bastard."

"Thank you," she said simply, sipping her drink.

There was a silence.

"You and the moyashi close?" asked Kanda.

"Yeah, we're pretty much the only scholarship students here."

"Scholarship?"

"Commoners," said Rei with a roll of her eyes. "So we get along pretty well."

Another silence.

"Hey."

"What?"

"I know that me coming here was a surprise, so I don't want to surprise you again, but…"

"What?" she said apprehensively.

"I have a new apartment."

"Where?"

"…Next door to you."

Rei whirled around to face him.

"WHAT?"

"Turns out that the apartment next to you has been empty for a while. Reever thought that it'd be easier for me to commute to school that way, and then you can drive me to work."

"I'M NOT YOUR CHAFFEUR."

"You don't have to pay for gas. You can drive my car."

"I don't care! Kanda, I have a _life_! You can't drag me around to parties, you can't wake me up at midnight to drive you around! I'm not a full-time bodyguard—you know that! And you should have a team, not just me!"

"My old man has tested every bodyguard that I've ever had," said Kanda coolly, "without me knowing. And he said that your reaction was the best out of them all, which means that _you're_ the best. And I need the best with me, Matsumomo. I swear I won't bother you that much, but you have to come to Gucci this Saturday."

"But Satsuma…she's going to be there!"

"We'll make something up. You're coming."

"But I—"

"It's final."

She shut her mouth, unable to counter the conclusiveness in Kanda's tone.

"Why are you so stubborn to have me go this time?" she finally asked. "Is there a bigger risk of someone attacking?"

"Yeah, I've already explained that. And it's not just that…"

"What else?" she groaned.

"Lenalee's going to be with me. So you'll have to keep her safe as well."

* * *

"Tyki!"

Tyki looked up from his suitcase.

"What?"

"I'm going to miss you!"

"Me too, Road, I'll miss you too."

"How long are you going to be staying in Japan?"

"Depends…I'll be working with Cross Marian again, and everyone knows how spontaneous that man is. It could end in a week or drag on for a year."

"I really hope it's not the latter…"

"Me too," Tyki shuddered, thinking of the prospect of working under Marian for an entire year. "Granted, that man's a great photographer, but he can be really demanding. And I hate being overworked."

"You should just quit," said Road grumpily. "You hardly get any time to play with me anymore."

Tyki finished packing his final sets of clothes and clacked the two buckles in place.

"That should do it…" he mused. "Aw, come on, Road, don't look like that. Why don't you just come with me?"

"Maybe I will, if you take too long. But I like Portugal much more than cold, dreary Japan. So you can go have fun by yourself."

The Portuguese model smiled.

"Not by myself…I get to hang out with some of the most impressive models this year, you know."

Road snorted. "What, you mean Kanda Yuu? You know you don't consider him a rival."

"When did I ever say that? He's very popular right now."

"Yeah, but he has only one style. He might last long in Asia, but on the international stage, he's not going to cut it. That's why you're the best, Tyki."

"Not in Asia," her brother replied. "Kanda takes the cake in the Orient. Hopefully I can make my image in Asia bigger, and then…"

"You can take over the world," Road giggled.

"That'd be great. You know what would be even better?"

"What?"

"If I could find an Asian chick to bring home with me."

"Ooh, Cyril would _love_ that."

"Ha, yeah, love making fun of me for it. But hey, I might meet some really cute ones there. You know, Lenalee Lee is really attractive."

"She's taken," Road said, bored.

"What?"

"By Kanda Yuu. Looks like you already lost."

"Shut up…there's more, anyway. I'll just find some at the Gucci party."

Road sighed and helped Tyki carry his take-on bags, moving them to the front lounge.

"Be back soon, Tyki!" she called as he boarded the limo.

"Ah, Road, I will. I'll give you a call when I land."

"Be sure to! I'll see you later!"

Tyki gave a wave and shut the door, letting out a sigh as he propped his legs up across from him. Japan, eh? Not too shabby. He was really quite anxious to meet the new generation model, Kanda Yuu. The Portuguese superstar gave a devilish smirk. Really, Road was right. If Kanda was limited to the photos that Tyki had already seen, well, he wasn't going to be much of a rival at all.

He was going to enjoy this.


	6. Handsome Devils

**Chapter 6: Handsome Devils**

"…Matsumomo, you…you look terrible," said Kanda frankly when Rei walked into the studio.

She did not even bother to snap back, instead sliding into a chair, exhausted. Kanda walked over to her and put a hand on her forehead. She jolted back in her seat, surprised.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Checking to see if you have a fever," he answered coolly. "What the hell have you been doing? I told you to be in top shape today—why does it look like you just finished a marathon?"

"I haven't been sleeping," she yawned. "And I'm really behind on homework because I've been hitting the gym after the school."

"The gym?" said Kanda skeptically.

"Yeah, I haven't been in a while so I figured that I was out of shape, and since you told me that I needed to be in 'top shape,' I thought it would be good to go work out some. But then, I remembered that the party was going to be primarily English speaking, so I've stayed up every night for the entire week watching shows that are spoken in English."

"Like what?" Kanda said warily.

"Oh, there's this really good one about a doctor and his staff. It's called House."

"…Is your English good now?"

"Better than yours, probably. Especially in medical terms."

"…Start speaking in English."

"Okay," she said, reverting to a strange accent as she attempted to speak in the foreign language. "So there's this guy in an episode, and he had…multiple sclerosis."

"There's absolutely NO reason for you to know that."

"Oh, I don't just know that," Rei said brightly, still speaking in English. "Let's see, there was lupus, and of course, there were a lot of cancer patients, and then there's gout, and, oh, did you know that—"

"Stop."

"I'm not done, Kanda-san. I've diagnosed you with a disease."

"Shut up, Matsumomo."

"Antisocial Personality Disorder. Did you know there was such thing?"

"Matsumomo, are you feeling…_giddy_?"

"Oh! And there was an episode where giddiness was a symptom—"

The door banged open, and the weary-to-the-point-of-hyperness bodyguard immediately sobered up, whipping out her pistol and cocking it, aiming it at the door.

"Kanda-kun!" a cheerful voice called as its owner entered the room. "Oh!"

Rei recognized the intruder—it was Lenalee Lee.  
"Oh, my bad," said Rei awkwardly, unloading the gun and stowing it away. "I'm sorry."

"Is this your new bodyguard, Kanda-kun?" said the Chinese model, stepping forward with a smile. Her Japanese was excellent. She stretched out a hand. "Hi, I'm Lenalee."

Rei took it, slightly embarrassed and feeling more than insignificant compared to the pretty supermodel.

"Matsumomo Rei," she said with a bow. "Sorry, I'll leave you alone now…"

"Go find Satomi and Satoshi to get you ready," said Kanda as Lenalee walked over to him. "I let Satomi choose out the dress, so if it's ugly as hell, tell her I'll kill her."

"Watch your mouth," Lenalee scolded. "That's so unkind." She gave a playful grin and hugged Kanda around the waist. "I missed you!"

Rei did not bother to stay and witness their romantic moments, though she really couldn't imagine Kanda being all lovey-dovey with, well, frankly, anyone. But seeing Lenalee, for some reason, gave Rei an uncomfortable feeling. She was just as cute as most posters showed—it was no wonder that Allen was infatuated with her. And seeing her so close to Kanda made Rei feel…annoyed, was it? But why? It must be because Rei was so tired…yes, that was probably it, her fuse was just a bit short because of her lack of sleep…

Rei knocked on the door to Satoshi and Satomi's salon, and, without bothering to wait for a reply, opened the door, only to see the two of them passionately kissing.

"Oh, shit, I'm so sorry," she said, panicky, shutting the door immediately.

Rei found herself staring stupidly at the smooth surface of the door. The increasing sense of idiocy washed over her, and again, the feelings of annoyance resurfaced in her. Was she really the only person in the world that wasn't paired together with someone?

The door creaked open, and a flushed Satomi opened appeared behind it.

"Sorry about that, Rei-chan," she said apologetically.

"No, it's okay," mumbled Rei. "It was my fault for barging in…I'm just here to get ready for the party…"

"Certainly," Satoshi's voice called from behind Satomi. "Come in."

Rei walked in the room and sat down in the seat that Satoshi had prepared.

"Any ideas in mind, Rei-chan?" asked Satoshi cheerfully. The man was completely unfazed by the fact that Rei had seen them making out.

"Not really, it's up to you."

"Good, because me and Satomi-san had a pretty good image planned out for you."

"You don't need to really work on it…I think Kanda's the one that you should worry about."

"It's boring dolling him up," said Satomi, who sat down beside her as Satoshi leaned Rei's hair into the washing basin. "He's too handsome for his own good—nothing really makes him look better."

"An abomination to all makeup artists," said Satoshi jokingly.

"I did _not_ say that. Don't get me in trouble, Satoshi, I don't want to get fired. Oh, and Rei-chan, I got the _cutest_ red cocktail dress for you."

"What brand?" said Satoshi.

"Burberry," Satomi said happily. "And then I got you another trench coat from Coach."

"I'm not going to be able to do anything in a dress, Satomi-san," Rei said a bit disapprovingly as Satoshi sat her up straight and began spraying her hair with something.

"Oh, who cares," said Satomi with a wave of her hand. "Sometimes, I think Kanda-san is a bit too paranoid for his own good."

"Paranoid?"

"Oh, believe me, Rei-chan, if you think that you're the only bodyguard that's overworked, you're wrong. Almost every one of Kanda's previous bodyguards resigned because he was so demanding. Honestly, it's not like everyone's going to be clamoring to kill a model! I don't know what he's so worked up about."

Rei lapsed into silence, thinking. Indeed, why _was_ Kanda so paranoid about being "safe?" Was he truly expecting someone, an assailant in the darkness, to attack him? Ruefully, Rei thought that it perhaps would be nice if she got the chance to stop a professional; perhaps Kanda would appreciate her more if she saved his life a few times.

A few hours passed, and Rei dozed in and out of sleep as she heard murmurs in the back of her mind, of Satomi and Satoshi styling her hair and putting on makeup. It seemed that someone was working on her nails, too, as Rei felt some sort of pressure on her hands. After what seemed to be days, someone shook her shoulder gently, and Rei opened her eyes.

"You look really gorgeous," Satomi smiled, gesturing at the bodyguard's reflection in the mirror.

Rei's mouth fell open. The two of them really had done a remarkable job; Rei's long, curly hair was pinned tightly up into an elegant bun, a few strands falling to her neck. Her eyes were outlined with dark black eyeliner, tinted with reddish eye-shadow on her eyelids. Her lips were a dark, vivacious red, her cheeks flushed with bronzer.

"Wow," she said weakly.

"What can I say?" said Satoshi with feigned arrogance. "I'm a genius."

"_We're_ geniuses," corrected Satomi, leading Rei to the changing room. "Now for your dress…"

Which was a hue of red that matched her lipstick. It was a one-shoulder cocktail dress, rather short and tight-fitting. Rei, who never really did much for her own appearance, was proud of one thing—her figure. Though she did not resonate the gentleness of profile like Lenalee did, Rei did have to admit that she had a good figure that had resulted from physical exercise; put together with her makeover, new dress, and killer-high high heels, even Rei had to admire herself in the mirror.

"At least you like it," laughed Satomi. "You look amazing."

"I feel like the person in the mirror isn't me at all," Rei said. "This is really incredible. Thanks, Satomi-san."

"What about me?" called Satoshi.

"You too!"

Satomi gave another laugh and handed Rei a black furry trench coat.

"Here, it's still a bit chilly outside. Kanda and Lenalee-san are probably getting prepared by Lenalee's stylists, so they should be pretty much finished. Go down to the car in the garage and pull up to the front; the paparazzi are all around, but don't mind them. Kanda intends for the two of them to go out together."

Rei felt her stomach drop.

"So they're revealing to the world that they're in a relationship?" she said casually.

Satomi nodded. "It's about time…they've been in one for months. Oh, and here're the keys."

"Right," Rei said offhandedly as she stuck her pistol and keys in her pocket. "Well, thanks again, Satomi-san, Satoshi-san. I'm off."

"Have fun!" Satomi said cheerfully.

Rei made her way down the elevator and to the garage, bringing her coat tightly around her shoulders as she beeped the remote to the car, trying to find which one it was. A Rolls-Royce's lights lit up. Rei groaned. So if she nicked the car, she'd probably have to pay her entire year's salary to repair it…

She got into the driver's seat, not bothering to admire the nice interiors, and drove a bit too quickly to the front of the Gucci headquarters. Cameras lined the walkway out, news reporters were scrambling to get to the front as the doors to the company finally opened.

Kanda walked out, looking so handsome that it should've been illegal, as he escorted Lenalee by his side. The Chinese model gave a cheerful wave to the crowd as the couple strode to the car effortlessly, not bothering to stop and explain the self-explanatory situation. Rei tried not to dwell on the fact that Lenalee looked stunning in her slimming sky-blue dress, her hair curled perfectly. The two did look quite good together.

Kanda opened the door to the car, letting Lenalee crawl inside, then shut the door as he slid inside after her.

"You know the way, Matsumomo?"

"Yeah. It's at Tiedoll Corp., isn't it?" She turned around to confirm.

Kanda looked taken back as she turned to face him. Lenalee smiled.

"You look really good, Matsumomo-san," she complimented.

"Oh. Thanks. You too, Lee-san. Tiedoll Corp, Kanda?"

"Yeah," he said, blinking slightly and looking out the window.

Rei smirked.

"What, not bothering to say that I actually look presentable for once, or that Satomi and Satoshi did a good job?" she said, turning on the engine and zooming out onto the roads. "You're such an uncomplimentary bastard."

"Watch that mouth of yours, Matsumomo."

"Want me to say it in English?" offered Rei. "I've learned a lot of cuss words."

"Shut up, you moron."

"Your language is just as uncouth as mine, Kanda."

"Shut up.'

Rei gave a sigh and sped ahead, the speed of the car passing 160.

"Shit, Matsumomo, you're passing it!"

"Oh. Oops."

She turned sharply to the right, causing the car to balance on two wheels for a split second before it righted itself. Lenalee and Kanda both slid in the back against the right door.

"My bad," said Rei without the slightest trace of apology.

"Matsumomo…" growled Kanda.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be fired if I do that again. You know, Kanda, even if you fire me, I doubt you'll be able to find another bodyguard to replace me."

"What do you mean by that?"

"She obviously means you overwork your bodyguards and that you make them cry a lot," Lenalee answered as she examined her nails.

"That's not true."

"Yeah, it is. Who the hell calls their bodyguards to drive them around at midnight in the dead of winter?"

"Or tells them to skip Christmas with their family and fly with him to Paris on an one-hour notice?"

Rei braked into a parking space and turned around.

"He did that?" she said incredulously.

"Yeah," sighed Lenalee. "Poor man…"

"If you ever do that to me, I'll kill you, Kanda."

"I probably will, seeing as you don't have a family to spend it with."

Rei's green eyes flashed furiously at his jibe, but she restrained herself from punching him in the face, instead turning back to the front of the car and turning off the engine.

"You getting out yourself, or do I need to open the damn door for you?" she said icily, opening her own door.

"I'll get it," a voice said from outside the car.

Reever smiled nervously as he opened Kanda's door. The Japanese and Chinese models slipped out of the Rolls-Royce, straightening up.

"Long time, no see, Rei-san," greeted Reever after shaking hands with Lenalee and being ignored by Kanda.

"Vacation nice, Reever-san?"

"Pretty much. Sorry to leave you alone."

"You should be," Rei said shortly as she locked the car with a beep. "He's insufferable."

"I can hear you, you idiot."

"I don't really care."

Lenalee gave a small giggle at Rei's aloof attitude to Kanda's anger, but masked it immediately when Kanda gave her a condescendingly handsome look…or was it handsomely condescending? Rei didn't quite know…but she did not want to stare at him, especially when she was annoyed with his presence…

The four of them walked into a gargantuan ballroom, where a waiter took their jackets and ushered them into the midst of the crowded room. Rei looked around, recognizing a significant number of people in the crowd. All around her were gorgeous supermodels, famous photographers, actors, actresses…Kanda was immediately greeted by a few of them, but his pulchritude overshadowed them all, despite the fact that he was apathetic to their presences…

"Matsumomo," she heard him call, and with a scowl, she turned around.

"What?"

"Mind getting us drinks?"

Her scowl grew more pronounced. Obviously, she did.

"What am I, your servant?"

"It's so you're not bored out of your mind, Matsumomo."

She gave an angry hiss and left towards the table of refreshments.

* * *

"Yo, Tyki Mikk!" a voice said from behind.

The Portuguese model, dressed impeccably in his signature Ralph Lauren suit and gilded Gucci cuffs, turned around to find its source, his lips parting in a smile as he recognized his colleague, who was dressed equally well in a white Armani suit and silken Coach tie.

"Lavi Bookman," he said, grinning, as he extended a hand. "You still alive? I thought the girls would've murdered you by now."

"You wish," the red-haired model replied with a grin of his own. "Then you'd be most popular in Europe."

"I already am, my dear man."

"Nah, I definitely am."

"Let's not argue about such a stupid topic."

"Sure, sure," said Lavi with a shrug of his shoulders. "So, are you here in Japan for just this socialite gathering, or are you here for work?"

"Both, I suppose. Cross Marian asked me to model for him again."

"Really? He asked me too…"

"Hm. I hadn't heard about that. Perhaps he wants us to participate in a photo shoot together?"

"Maybe with Kanda Yuu too…I heard that he's modeling for him already."

"Ugh, all three of us together would just be fangirl heaven."

Lavi smiled ruefully. "Ha, it really would. Say, have you met him yet?"

"Who?"

"Kanda," Lavi said with a mischievous glint in his one visible green eye.

"No, I haven't. I assume you're already acquainted, then?"

"Yeah, I met him in Paris last year. Oh man, he is quite the character."

"You two are friends?"  
"Far from it. That guy hates the world."

"And yet he has Lenalee Lee as a girlfriend," mused Tyki.

"Oh yeah, I heard about that too. Damn, I wanted to make my moves on her."

"Great minds think alike," chuckled Tyki. "But no matter, I'll find a pretty Asian girl tonight…besides, I'm rather active at night after that jetlag."

"Me too," Lavi agreed. "So let's find ourselves some women."

"You're such a blatant playboy."

"Speak for yourself, Mikk. But hell, let's find the host of the party first…where _is_ Kanda?" Lavi questioned, looking through the crowd.

"You find him first; I'm going to get myself a drink."

"Nah, I'll come with ya. It's always a good set-up to suggest a girl a type of drink."

"You think any of these Asian chicks speak English?"

"Oh, damn, I forgot about that…damn language barrier."

"Well, let's just cross our fingers and hope that they do," said Tyki as he walked over to the refreshments.

His golden eyes glided over the crowds, picking out the women that he thought were perhaps worthy of his time…most Asian women were a bit on the short side, so it was easy to eliminate that way…there was one in a red cocktail dress at the table that seemed approachable. He strode in her direction.

Rei looked around, selecting two glasses from the table. Imagining what it would be like to dump it over Kanda's head, she gave a wry smile and turned to make her way back to her intolerable boss.

"Oh!" she exclaimed as she bumped into someone.

The liquid contents of the glasses splashed over her arms and hands. She let out a low curse, and looked up.

"I'm sorry," a smooth voice said with concern. "Are you hurt?"

Rei's green eyes widened as she looked at the face that she thought was only a dream, a face that was actually plastered on her bedroom wall.

"Holy…"

"Are you okay?" Tyki Mikk asked.

Rei's mind was rapidly trying to formulate a coherent sentence in English to reply with, but for some reason, her brain wouldn't function properly. She blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Multiple sclerosis."

Tyki blinked.

"You have MS?"

"No, no, no," said Rei breathlessly, recovering herself and beginning to speak in better English. "I'm sorry, I was just so…surprised…"

"I'm sorry for shocking you," said Tyki sincerely. "And I caused you to spill your drink all over yourself, too. I don't think it got on your dress…"

"No, it's fine," said Rei, trying not to hyperventilate the way Aiko had when she'd seen Kanda. Rei had never lost her composure to this degree. "I…um…"

"I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself," said Tyki with a small bow. "I'm Tyki Mikk; I'm from Portugal."

"I…I'm Matsumomo Rei. I…wow."

Tyki raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow.

"What is it?"

"I'm a fan…you're like the only model that I've been a fan of…so it's rather…breathtaking to actually see you in person."

"You're my fan?" Tyki said, surprised. "Well, that's nice to hear. I thought the Japanese were all about Kanda Yuu."

Rei immediately scowled upon hearing her employer's name. Tyki's eyes lit up.

"You don't like him?"

"I…yeah, you could say that."

"Hm. Why?"

Rei utilized all the insults she remembered from House and recited them at top speed.

"Because he's an arrogant idiot, an uncaring bastard, a stupid moron, a—"

"Hey, are you going to keep talking about your employer like that at the top of your voice?" Kanda's silky voice said from behind.

He was alone, his blue eyes flickering slightly as he looked at Tyki.

"Employer?" said Tyki questionably.

"She's my bodyguard," explained Kanda. "Matsumomo, stop fraternizing with the enemy."

"The enemy?" Rei sputtered. "To _you_, maybe, but this is _Tyki Mikk_ in person—"

"I'm frankly offended that you're hyperventilating over him, but when you first met me, you snarled. Seriously, is this guy that much better looking than I am?"

"Yeah."

"Are you _asking_ to get fired?"

"Yo, Yuu-chan!"

Rei's eyes swiveled to meet the newcomer. Lavi Bookman.

Rei was not like Satsuma Aiko. She did not scream at every little thing that one male did, nor did she faint at the sight of meeting one. But after having her guard so shaken by meeting her favorite idol and then seeing the most popular model in Europe, Rei was very close to simply keeling over in surprise. She retained her composure, however, much to her gratefulness.

"Don't you dare call me that," Kanda said coldly as Lavi placed one arm around the Japanese model's shoulders affectionately.

"Aw, c'mon, it's been a year since we've last seen each other. Don't tell me you didn't miss me?"

"Definitely not."

"Lame. Oh," Lavi said, his eyes landing on Rei. "Who's this? Hi, I'm Lavi Bookman."

"She knows, and she's close to bursting into tears because she's so happy," said Kanda dryly.

"Shut up," Rei snapped before turning to Lavi with a smile. "Pleased to meet you, I'm Matsumomo Rei."

"Rei-chan, eh? So, how d'you know Kanda?"

"She's his _bodyguard_," Tyki said with a tint of condescension. "But seriously, what could this girl do that a full-grown man couldn't, Kanda? You need her protection?"

"Shut it," said Kanda dangerously.

"Aw," Lavi crooned, "is Yuu-chan getting _embarrassed?_"

"Please," interjected Rei. "I'm fine with you making fun of Kanda and all—" (Kanda glared at her.) "—but if it's about my bodyguard position, don't underestimate me. He has a reason for hiring me."

"I dunno, I'd just feel so weird if a woman was guarding me…" said Tyki, "but I'll let it slide for now." He smiled at Rei, and she felt her cheeks burn. "So Kanda, mind if I take your little bodyguard missy and talk with her for a while?"

"Yeah, I do, so you can't."

Rei frowned at him.

"I'm going to anyway," she said warningly.

"Matsumomo, the whole purpose of letting you come here—"

"Letting me come here? I didn't want to come to begin with!"

"Well it sure doesn't look like you regret it," he said acidly. She did not reply, and he continued. "Look, you're supposed to be guarding me and Lenalee. At a gathering like this, it's easy for me to get targeted."

"But…"

"I'll accompany you," Tyki offered. "That way, she'll be close by but still can keep an eye on you. Would that work?"

"No," said Kanda shortly.

"I'll come too," Lavi said cheerily. "Introduce me to your girlfriend, Yuu-chan. Come, come!"

He wheeled Kanda around after giving Tyki a wink and steered him away to Lenalee.

"Sorry about that," said Rei apologetically. "As I said, he's a dimwit…"

"It's fine," Tyki said, flashing a smile. "So, how'd you get wrapped up in this ridiculous bodyguard business anyway? No offense, I mistook you for a model, not a bodyguard."

"You're only saying that because I'm all dressed up right now," said Rei. "I'm really atrocious outside of parties; Kanda never lets me hear the end of it."

"I'm sure he's just exaggerating," said Tyki, taking her hand and kissing it swiftly, his golden eyes gleaming as he peered over her knuckles. Rei's cheeks grew even more crimson than before at the action. Before she had a chance to stammer in reply, however, a painfully familiar voice called out.

"Oh, Kanda-san, how delightful to see you!" Satsuma Aiko said.

Rei turned around, only for her eyes to meet Aiko's. The heiress's eyes widened in incredulity.

"_Matsumomo Rei?_"

She was so expelled.


	7. Attacks and Reactions

**Chapter 7: Attacks and Reactions**

"What the hell are you doing here?" shrieked Aiko, causing a few people to turn and stare.

"Shit…" Rei moaned, hiding unconsciously behind Tyki's towering figure.

Tyki pushed her behind him protectively, eying Aiko with distaste.

"May I help you?" Tyki asked in his sexily accented English.

Aiko stared at him dumbly, not comprehending his words. Her mind seemed to work as quickly as it could, but it looked as if all she could register was Tyki's gorgeousness. Taking advantage of Aiko's temporarily silenced moment, Rei peered over Tyki's shoulder, catching Kanda's eye, and signaled for him to do something about it. Kanda gave an apathetic shrug to her plight.

"Do you know her, Miss Rei?" said Tyki.

"Yeah…she's a classmate," answered Rei quietly in English after shooting an ugly look at Kanda. "From…school. Er…we're not supposed to have part-time jobs, so the thing is, if she finds out that I'm working for Kanda…I'm expelled…"

"Oh, is that all? Well, that's easily remedied."

Tyki slipped a hand around Rei's thin waist and turned to Aiko, a beatific smile on his face.

"Why don't you tell her that you're here at my invitation and as my guest?" he suggested. "I can't speak Japanese, and it seems like she doesn't understand English, so the translation will be up to you, sweet."

Aiko recovered from her gawking and turned her attention to Rei as her eyes lingered on Tyki's arm slinking around Rei's waist.

"What's going on? Who's this? Why are you here?"

"This…this is Tyki Mikk," said Rei a tad coolly, angry that Aiko was so ignorant as not to recognize the beautiful model. "He's Europe's most famous male model, and…I'm here on his invitation."

"You?" Aiko said weakly. "Oh, heavens…you really have made it into our world…"

"No, I haven't, but seriously, if you could just stop screaming at me at the top of your lungs every time you see me in high class society, it'd be greatly appreciated."

"I agree," said Kanda, coming from behind Aiko, Lenalee at his shoulder. "It's not terribly strange to see Matsumomo here, so stop making such a big deal out of it."

"Hey!" a voice said behind Rei. (People seemed to be doing that a lot now.) "Rei, is that you?"

Aiko let out another high-pitched shriek. "OHMIGOSH NOT YOU TOO, WALKER!"

"Yeah, I wish _he_ weren't here…" grumbled Kanda.

"Oh, shit, I forgot you were going to be here, Satsuma…" Allen groaned.

"How'd you get in?"

"He's here under my influence," Cross Marian said, joining the group. He noticed Tyki Mikk and Rei and switched over to English. "Hey, Mikk." Cross extended a hand, and Tyki shook it briefly. "Oh, and is that you, Rei? Damn, you're looking sexy tonight."

"Sexual harassment, Marian," said Tyki with a tinge of disparagement.

"Tch, you're the one with his hand around her waist."

"Conditions call for it."

Allen caught Rei's eye and grinned, giving her a thumbs up and mouthing "Good one." She rolled her eyes, but could not deny that she was really flustered from Tyki's way of helping her out. Aiko's head swiveled back and forth between the jabbering conversations in a language she couldn't understand.

"This isn't happening…" she whimpered. "This is so unfair…it was just supposed to be me and Kanda-kun…"

"Meaning what?" Lenalee said icily, being the only foreign model that could understand Japanese. "If you haven't noticed by now, Kanda-san is _my_ boyfriend."

Before Aiko got a chance to tearfully reply, a Japanese man came up to her and beckoned for her to leave. Aiko gave all of them a blazing look of hatred, (most of it directed towards Rei), before leaving with the man, whom Rei assumed to be her father.

"Pity," Lavi sighed. "She wasn't terrible looking, either…too bad she couldn't speak English, or I wouldn't have minded her."

"Are you serious?" said Tyki. "She had a horrible attitude that would've made bedding down with her disgusting."

"Ah, ah, ah, watch your mouth, Mikk," grinned Lavi, giving Rei a meaningful glance. "You don't want to make your little bodyguard upset, would you?"

"I'm fine," Rei sad shortly, disturbed that she'd witnessed Tyki's playboy attitude firsthand. "It's none of my business. Thanks for your help, Mikk-san."

She attempted to move away and escape his arm, but Tyki held onto her tighter.

"I didn't mean to offend you, Miss Rei," he said smoothly. "Please excuse my crass language."

"You're excused," said Kanda in her place, taking a hold on Rei's shoulder and pulling her away from Tyki. "Listen here, Mikk, you and Bookman's reputations as playboys are pretty well-known in the modeling world. I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to sleep with my bodyguard."

"But that's her choice, Kanda," said Tyki, his eyes glinting maliciously. "You can't control her personal life, right?"

"I'd really rather not sleep with you, Mikk-san," Rei said edgily. Her image of Tyki had dropped a few notches.

"I know, I didn't mean that," Tyki said, noticing her annoyance. "I just meant that your employer shouldn't be able to control who you talk to; isn't that a boyfriend's job? Besides, you have Miss Lenalee Lee to worry about," he added coolly, giving Lenalee a nod of recognition. "Don't go bothering Miss Rei anymore than you'd need to."

"That's beside the point," bristled Kanda.

"No, Mikk-san's right," said Rei evenly to Kanda, "but really, I'd appreciate it if you both let me make decisions by myself."

Kanda glared at her, opening his mouth to accost her, but Lenalee laid a hand on his arm. Rei saw a flash of worry in her eyes, disappearing as quickly as it came.

"It's up to Matsumomo-san whom she wishes to speak with," the Chinese model said quietly in Japanese. "Don't be a bother, Kanda-san."

He snarled but obeyed, letting Lenalee take him in another direction without another word.

"Women," said Tyki with a slight shake of his head. "Even if I couldn't understand a word she said, it was obvious that she has him wrapped around her little finger."

"I'm glad someone _can_ control that egotistical idiot," said Rei coldly.

"But _why_ she had to choose him, of all people…" Allen groaned, catching quickly on with the foreign language.

"Wow, Allen-kun," said Rei with surprise, "your English is good."

Tyki shot a quizzical glance at Rei.

"Your friend?" he asked.

"Yeah, from school," answered Rei, nodding.

"He's my apprentice, for the time being," Cross added. "He'll be helping me out in both of your photo shoots, Mikk, Bookman, so might as well introduce yourselves."

Both famous supermodels stuck out a hand.

"Tyki Mikk," said Tyki with a smirk as he looked down at him. He was taller than Allen by a good bit. "Pleased to meet you."

"Lavi Bookman," said Lavi with an equally sexy smile. "Nice to meet ya."

Allen shook both their hands, rather flustered.

"You two, there's no need to go around seducing every person you meet," said Cross dryly, noticing that Tyki and Lavi had their alluring smiles in place. "Especially if he's a guy."

"It's just a little competition that me and Mikk have," Lavi said in his British drawl. "See who has the greater impact."

"Obviously, it's me," Tyki said.

"Nah, I think I won that one."

"You two are morons," Cross sighed, reaching into the pocket of his blazer and taking out a pack of cigarettes.

Rei's thoughts exactly.

She liked Tyki. As a model. And Lavi as well.

But she could not deny the fact that both of them were arrogant and idiotic. Allen caught her eye and grinned.

"What're you laughing about, Walker?" said Cross.

"Rei's expression."

Everyone turned to her; Tyki grew alarmed at Rei's darkened mood.

"Is something wrong?" he inquired.

"She hates arrogant people," said Allen cheerily. "So after hearing your and Bookman's conversation, she probably feels pretty disgusted right now."

"I'm sorry," Tyki said immediately, taking Rei's hands into his. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"Of course not," said Rei, emotionless.

"Don't be angry, Miss Rei."

"Yeah," chimed in Lavi. "It's just a guy to guy thing; don't let our cockiness anger upset you."

"Well at least you admit that you're cocky," she said in one breath.

"You know, Rei, your English got really good all of a sudden," remarked Allen thoughtfully. "I was always better than you at it, but that's probably because of my heritage…but now, you hardly have an accent at all. Don't you normally get average grades in English? What's with the sudden jump?"

"Thank Kanda," she snorted. "Because of this stupid gathering, I've been staying up until two every day of the week watching English-speaking dramas and shows in order to improve my listening and speaking skills. It's been dreadful."

"Your work's paid off," Tyki said with an appeasing smile. "I can understand you very well."

"Thanks…"

"Say," the Portuguese model said as he turned to the others, "mind if I take Miss Rei and chat with her for a bit?"

"Fine by me," Lavi said with a crooked smile.

Allen gave Rei a wink and shrugged his shoulders.

"By all means," the white-haired boy said.

"Fine, fine," said Cross. "Though I've gotta warn you, Mikk, she doesn't seem like your normal type—you know, the ones that you sleep with at random intervals."

"Ignore him," said Tyki a bit testily as he led Rei away. "He doesn't mean that."

"It doesn't matter if it's true," said Rei. "It doesn't make you any less of a model in my eyes."

Tyki looked surprised at her response.

"Thank you."

"It just makes you less of a respectable person," she added acerbically.

"Ouch," winced Tyki. "Well, can you trust me if I say that I'm not going to try and get you to bed down with me tonight?"

"I suppose, because I think it's safe to say that no matter what you do, I'm not going to."

"Miss Rei, that tongue of yours has probably punctured many inflated reputations."

"I seem to have failed to puncture Kanda's."

Tyki let out a sigh. "You seem to like him."

Rei gave him a disbelieving look.

"You're joking."

"But every conversation seems to turn back to him. It makes me jealous."

"…You move a bit too fast for my liking, Mikk-san."

"It's all right to call me Tyki, you know. Without the honorific," he added with a grin as they sat down at an empty table.

"Like I said. You move a bit too fast for my liking."

"I'm offended," he said with feigned hurt. "You say you're my fan, but the only time you blushed was when you first saw me. Now, you're looking at me with such…disdain."

"It seems that showbiz is full of people who have qualities that I don't appreciate," said Rei acidly, accepting a glass of champagne from a waiter. "It's nothing personal, really."

"No, I believe it is. My arrogance is really unattractive—I know that. But you must realize, Miss Rei, that if models don't exude that sense of confidence, it makes our pictures unappealing. Bookman and I, and Kanda too, we all simply radiate it naturally because we're used to it."

Rei paused in her retort.

"I suppose that's a tad understandable…" she said. "For you, I guess I can overlook it. But not for Kanda," she said definitively with a scowl.

"Why do you work for him if you hate him so much?"

"Because I'm poor," said Rei bluntly, taking a sip of her drink daintily. "I need the money."

"If you really dislike your work, I'll hire you," offered Tyki.

"…You're joking."

"No, I'm not. I'd rather have you with me as a bodyguard, odd as it is, than see you constantly with Kanda."

"…You say one thing now in flattery to me, and tomorrow morning, you'll be waking up with someone that you'll meet at the after-party. Mikk-san, don't underestimate me."

"I'm not."

"I'm not a romantic."

"I know."

"Mikk-san, you can't know. I've been talking with you for ten minutes."

"It's actually been thirty," said Tyki innocently. "Time flies when you're around me, no?"

Rei frowned and said nothing.

"Look here, sweet. I'm serious. Here." Tyki withdrew a card from his pocket and slid it over the table to her. "My cell phone number and address while I'm here in Japan. Ever get tired of Kanda, give me a call or come over. I'll be more than happy to hire you."

Rei gave an exasperated sigh, laying her glass on the table and leaning her head on her hands as she stared at the card. Reluctantly, she took the stiff slip of paper and slid it in her purse, her lips pursed. Talking with Tyki was supposed to be like a dream come true…why had the nervousness and euphoria that she'd felt from the first second she'd seen him disappear? There was no electricity, no chemistry between them…or so she felt…

Tyki leaned forward in his seat, hands digging in Rei's purse.

"What are you looking for?" she questioned.

"Your phone. I want your number."

"But—"

"Fair exchange, Miss Rei," he said, pulling out her ancient block of a cell phone and clicking it against his sleek black one. "Hm. I think that does it. Infrared does wonders."

He set it back in her purse, his fingers brushing past her elbows in a subtle manner as he withdrew his hands from the bag. She looked up at him, startled at the contact, only to find his golden eyes inches away from hers.

"This is a very odd feeling," he said with warm seduction. "I normally find women who are simply head over heels for me when they see me…and I thought you'd be the same, honestly. Seeing you so nonchalant when you're around me is almost…insulting."

"I'm not nonchalant," said Rei, going pink. "Mikk-san, move your face away."

"Such crude wording, Rei."

"Don't drop the honorific."

"You really don't want to be on an intimate scale with me?"

He was so close that she could feel his warm breath on her lips, could smell the scent of cologne and…cigarettes…she'd lied in her thoughts before—the butterflies reappeared in her stomach, and her heart was pounding furiously as her cheeks flushed.

Rei had closed her eyes and was readying herself for Tyki's kiss when she heard the ominous sound of a gun cocking behind her. She turned around immediately, eyes snapping open, causing Tyki's lips to pass her cheek.

"Damn, girl, you are harsh."

But she was no longer listening to the Portuguese model, her green eyes scanning for the cause of the sound. She was positive she'd heard it; the only question was who had prepared a gun, and who they were aiming at…

There was a sudden outburst of applause behind her and Rei chanced a glance in its direction. Not far behind her was Kanda, surrounded by microphones and cameras, as a few reporters, who had somehow snuck into the party, were asking questions. Rei felt movement behind her and saw a strongly built man in a dark suit move his right hand unnaturally to his breast pocket. She saw the glint of the metal and it was all she needed to see to confirm who had the gun and who would soon be a victim…

Wearing a cocktail dress had prevented Rei from bringing her gun with her; she'd left it in the pocket of her coat like an idiot. She was resourceful, however, and snatched the dinner knife from on top the white tablecloth. The bodyguard sent it flying into the assailant's arm; she saw it dig deeply into his shoulder, causing him to grunt out in pain and drop the gun. She dove for it quickly, kicking him in the face with her five-inch heels as he attempted to get it, straightening up to see simultaneous movements from across the room: men loading their pistols, all of them aiming at Kanda.

"Get down!" she shouted, running into the crowd and knocking over a few reporters.

Rei arrived at Kanda's side in a matter of split seconds, pulling him down just as the sound of bullets rang in the hall. There was a good deal of screaming as she laid protectively on top of him as the reporters went into chaos—she straightened up amidst the cacophony of noise, looking for the attackers.

One of them was bold enough to appear right in front of them; Rei reacted quickly and shot him in the leg, cocking the gun the moment the bullet lodged into the intruder's limb. She stood up, dragging Kanda on his feet and pushing him towards the door. She remained behind him, looking over her shoulder most of the time as she tried to see if anyone else was going to attack.

"Lenalee," said Kanda hoarsely as he grabbed the Chinese model from the wall, taking her along with them. "We're leaving."

"What's going on?" she said, panic-stricken.

"Get to the car—now," Rei said curtly, slamming the exit doors heavily behind her and beeping the remote of the Rolls Royce, unlocking its doors.

The two models dashed for the vehicle; Rei stood behind a bit, watching for the most subtle movement, listening for the quietest sound…a garage was a good place for a sneak attack, deserted and with plenty of hiding spaces…

A car fifty meters away unrolled its window very slowly, and Rei saw the tip of a barrel of a gun emerge from its depths. Not hesitating, she aimed and shot at it, missing slightly and causing the window to shatter. The interaction had taken place in enough time for Kanda and Lenalee to get into the car; Rei flew to the driver's side and slipped into the seat, locking all the doors and turning the keys in the ignition.

"Get your seatbelts on," she said, not bothering to fasten her own as she accelerated in reverse and pulled out of the garage. In her rearview mirror, she noticed a black Benz pull out of its parking space, followed by another one of its kind, as the two tried to tail them.

She gunned the acceleration, causing the car tires to screech terribly as the Rolls Royce raced out of Tiedoll Corp.'s vicinity, pulling onto the highway as soon as she could.

"Why did they attack you?" demanded Rei, reverting back to her native language for facilitation in communication, her eyes glued to the car mirrors as they followed the movements of their stalkers.

"No idea," replied Kanda.

"Shut it, I know there's something that you do that makes you a target," she snapped, dodging in and out of the slow moving line. "Models aren't attacked in the middle of a party—they were after you, I know it, and you sure as hell better tell me what's going on before we all die."

"I have no idea," said Kanda calmly as he looked behind him at the followers. "They're getting close, Matsumomo. Speed up."

Lenalee was more composed than Rei would've imagined her to be. She, like Kanda, was looking behind her to watch their unknown enemies.

"Damn," cursed Rei, merging into the fast lane. "Stupid, bulky car. Why the hell you couldn't get a race car or something, why the hell a Rolls Royce…"

There was some sort of traffic jam up ahead, conveniently in the way of her path. Rei gritted her teeth.

"Hold on tight."

She slammed the accelerator, causing it to whine in protest and for the car to lurch forward at a speed that it wasn't accustomed to. She was going to get off the highway, and the moment they made it to Kanda's bodyguard infested apartment, they were safe, but for now, she needed to make sure that she could lose them. Rei merged into the lane for pulled-over vehicles and zoomed past the standstill of cars. She could see the Mercedes-Benzes follow suit, but they were slower now that they were squished in a very small space, and Rei forced the car to go as fast as it could, finally pulling off the freeway.

"I've lost one," she commented, beads of perspiration sliding down her neck as she worked intensely under pressure. "Now for the other."

Neither model replied her, not wanting to break her concentration. Rei arrived in the crowded downtown of Tokyo, where traffic was such a hassle even at the late hour, and drove like a maniac. More than once she made a U-turn in the middle of a crowded street, causing the automobile to wheel around on two wheels, and only after repeated twists and turns did Rei finally lose the persistent Benz. She navigated the car quickly to Kanda's apartment (he hadn't moved in next to her quite yet) and parked in a space.

Rei turned off the engine and leaned back in her seat, breathing harshly. Her bun was coming undone, the stray strands drenched in perspiration…she looked down at her hands; they were shaking slightly.

"Are…are we safe?" Lenalee asked, breaking the silence first.

"I think so," said Rei. "But let's not leave the car in case they prepared an ambush. Kanda, call someone from upstairs and get a full-body escort. We're not leaving this vehicle until we have people with us."

She heard the dial tones of his cell phone and knew he was doing what she'd asked. Rei let out an exhausted breath and laid her head against the cool window, letting it calm her elevated body temperature down. Kanda was saying something, and finally, he shut his phone.

"They'll be here soon," was all he said.

The bodyguard crew, composed of big bulky men not unlike the ones who had attacked, arrived at the car doors promptly and escorted the three of them to Kanda's apartment. The moment they opened the door, a frazzled-looking woman in her mid-twenties threw herself on Lenalee, sobbing all the while.

"Miranda-san!" said Lenalee, supporting the crying woman.

"I'm such a failure as a m-m-manager!" she cried. "To let you go to such d-danger! R-Reever-san just called me, a-and I'm so sorry, Lenalee-san!"

"I'm fine!" said Lenalee reassuringly. "Matsumomo-san here helped us get out of there safely, and—"

Miranda took one look at who Lenalee was gesturing to and grabbed Rei's hands, shaking them vigorously.

"T-thank you so much for k-keeping Lenalee-san safe, I'll be f-forever indebted to your kindness and—"

"That's enough, Miranda," Lenalee said with a smile. "Thank you, though, Matsumomo-san."

"It's…nothing."

"Lenalee-san, let's g-go back to your apartment," said Miranda. "It'd be best if you turned in for the day."

"I agree," said Lenalee shakily. "I'm dead tired, and maybe I'll be less shocked when I wake up in the morning and think that I dreamed all of this…"

"Yeah, go ahead and sleep," said Kanda. "We'll discuss it in the morning."

"Good night, Kanda-san, Matsumomo-san."

The Chinese model exited the apartment, followed closely by her manager, who shut the door behind them firmly. Rei sank into a chair, her legs finally giving away after hours in stilettos.

"…You did your job," said Kanda.

"Of course," she said wearily, letting her purse drop to the ground. "What, you thought I was all talk?"

"…No."

Rei yawned and stood up unsteadily.

"I'll be going now…" she said, blinking away tears from the yawn.

Kanda looked stricken.

"You're leaving?" he said.  
Rei cleared her eyes.

"You don't want me to?" she said blankly.

"I…someone might continue the attack or something…"

"Oh, you want me to sit here and continue my bodyguard duties for the rest of the night?" she said snappishly. "You're surrounded by a team, and man up, for once."

"It's not that—they might come after _you_," said Kanda icily.

There was an awkward silence.

"Are you _caring_ about me?" she said incredulously, a strange sense of happiness bubbling in her chest.

"No, definitely not."

"You're letting me stay over because you actually _care_ if someone tries to kill me?"

"Go jump off a cliff, Matsumomo."

"Great," she said cheerfully, her mood taking a complete turn. She kicked off her heels and headed off to the bathroom. "Now, get me a change of clothes, Kanda-san, it's so uncomfortable in this dress, and I'm guessing you have a guest room, so I'll sleep in there—"

"Don't just make yourself at home, you idiot!"

* * *

Rei sat in her bed, running a towel through her curly hair as she attempted to dry it quickly. Her phone was in front of her. It lighted up suddenly, the ringtone for text messages going off. She pursed her lips and opened it.

There were two messages. One from Allen, the other from a number she didn't recognize.

"Hey, just wanted to tell you that we're all safe," read the one from Allen. "By all, I mean me, Cross, and Lavi. I think I saw Tyki get to safety as well. Aiko's nowhere to be seen, so I'm assuming she left early. I hope you all are safe. (Lenalee's with you, right?) Text me back."

She texted back quickly, assuring him that she, Kanda, and his dear Lenalee had all reached safety. She then proceeded to open the second message.

It was in English. Frowning, Rei brought the screen closer to her face and read with a great amount of difficult the following lines:

"Hey, Rae," it read (Her name was misspelled.). "This is Tyki. Hope you're safe. Call me."

She smirked. What a flirt…asking her to _call_ instead of text. What ancient world of communication did he live in?

She replied with a text, beginning in English.

"I'm fine. Glad to hear that you're all right." Here, she switched over to Japanese because her English abilities only stretched so far. "I'm staying at Kanda's overnight. Jealous? I don't think so. You're not that type of guy. I doubt you can even read this, so ha. Good night."

She sent it with some sort of vindictive satisfaction, a bit annoyed with Tyki's easy advances and flirtatious attributes. A notice popped up on the screen, asking if she wanted to save the number. Rei's fingers hovered over the digits as she thought. With a click, she pressed 'no.' After all, why save a number on her phone when she hadn't even saved her own boss's?

* * *

Tyki was sprawled over a sofa in his temporary residence as his cell phone rang again. He flipped it open and read Rei's text, frowning as it became Japanese and he could no longer decipher it. What a stubborn girl…acting so high and mighty when she wasn't even _that_ attractive.

But Tyki had to admit, there was an alluring intensity in her eyes when she'd dived in the midst of the crowd to protect her employer. And those reactions as a bodyguard were definitely high-rated; the girl was a professional, surprisingly enough.

The phone vibrated, and Tyki looked down on the screen. Incoming call: Road.

"Hey," he said into the receiver.

"Hola, Tyki. How was the party?"

"As enjoyable as it gets. There was an attack on Kanda in the middle of it."

"Ooh," giggled Road. "Did he get hurt?"

"No, his bodyguard saved him."

"Bo-oring," she said.

"Not the bodyguard."

"…Tyki, are you _gay_?"

"You idiot, of course not. The bodyguard's female."

"…Really. Oh dear, Tyki. Don't tell me you're interested."

"I'm very interested," he chuckled.

"It's only been a few days since you arrived in Japan!"

"She's a bodyguard, Road. She might be worth playin' around with."

"Whatever. Send me a picture—she better be pretty."

"Nah, she's so-so. But she has good reactions. I like her."

"Pft. Whatever."

"We'll see if she can fall for my charms," he said. "She claims she's a fan of mine, so maybe I have an advantage? But I don't know…can girls just dive in the pathway of a bullet when they're bodyguards?"

"I dunno," said Road. "Want me to ask Cyril? I heard he had a female bodyguard a long time ago."

"Really? What was she like?"

"I dunno," answered Road. "I only know her name."

"What was it?"

"Eileen Raye."

"Hm. Interesting. Ask Cyril if she was willing to get hit by a bullet for him."

"Why does it matter, Tyki?"

"Because if she wasn't, then that means Rei's probably in love with Kanda."

Road chortled. "What a dumb assumption. But even if she was, would you care?"

Tyki lit a cigarette and puffed on it for a moment.

"I suppose not. I'd just have to take her away from him, wouldn't I?"

"Atta boy, Tyki," laughed Road. "Have fun, okay? I bet it's late over there, so I'll let you sleep. Later."

She hung up without another word. Tyki stared up at the ceiling of his apartment, thinking about the text he'd gotten from Rei. She seemed like a difficult catch…but it wasn't like he was desperate or anything. Sue, he was interested…but he wasn't going to go so far as to actually chase her seriously.

Tyki let out a ring of smoke.

After all, he was Tyki Mikk. Famous international Portuguese supermodel. No woman could resist his charms.


	8. Picture Perfect

**Chapter 8: Picture Perfect**

"Matsumomo, wake up."

Rei groaned and simply stirred in her sleep, not bothering to actually sit up until someone grabbed her by the shoulders and literally yanked her awake.

"_Wake up_," growled Kanda's menacing voice.

She opened her eyes groggily, shaking her head from side to side in order to clear it. What a sight to be waking up to…Kanda Yuu, in casual clothing, and at the same time impeccably groomed. It was different seeing him in something other than a suit, but he made simple jeans and a T-shirt look fantastic.

"What the hell?" she complained, tearing her eyes away from such a nice sight and looking at the clock. "It's only seven! Why'd you wake me up?"

"Because we're in deep shit," he replied coldly, flipping on the T.V. in her room.

Rei stared at the screen, her green eyes reflecting the images playing in front of her.

"…That's you, isn't it?" she said weakly.

"Yeah."

"…Shit. That's me."

"Yeah."

The newscast was replaying the events from the night before, showing the simple clip of Rei running and knocking Kanda over as the bullets rang out in the room. There was no glimpse of Rei's face, but anyone at the party would've recognized her red dress, which had been the only one of its kind. Anyone included Aiko.

"Satsuma's going to find out," said Rei faintly. "I'm going to be expelled. I'm never going to graduate from high school. I'm going to have to drop out and become a hobo because no one will hire a person who never went to high school and—"

"Shut up, Matsumomo," said Kanda seriously. "This goes farther than your petty school position. They haven't found out your identity, thankfully—I asked my old man to keep your identity confidential—but it can't be avoided that everyone now knows that I have a female bodyguard."

She looked at him, confused. "Does it matter?"

"This is going to fuel a lot of rumors," he explained coolly. "Especially after Lenalee and I just announced our relationship. There's going to be a lot of people saying that I'm cheating on her or something stupid just because I have a female employee."

"That's groundless," insisted Rei. "I mean, Satomi's a female employee. It's the same thing. Besides, I'm more worried about school…"

"I can take care of that," he said. "Komui won't expel you."

"But Satsuma and her gang will _murder_ me."

"Who cares?"

Rei gave him an ugly look for his nonchalance.

"You're such a jerk. Even yesterday! I asked you to help me out because Satsuma saw me, and you just shrugged! Mikk-san was the one who got me out of it!"

"You didn't mind that," smirked Kanda, sitting down on the foot of her bed.

"I—"

"You should really thank me for letting you go, you know."

"Thank _you_?" she sputtered. "You should be the one thanking me for saving your freaking life!"

"Oh, that," he shrugged. "That's your job—I paid you for it."

Rei stretched out her palm.

"Paycheck," she demanded.

"Not yet—it hasn't even been a month since you started working."

He smirked at her scowl and stood up, running a hand through his hair.  
"Just letting you know about our situation," he said. "I'm cancelling all our work today, so you should probably just stay inside as well."

"But…homework…"

"Oh, right, I forgot about that. Well, I have all the books and stuff here—you can use them."

"Oh," she said, surprised with his magnanimity. "Thanks."

"But I get to copy it after you're done."

"What?"

"I'm going to call Reever for breakfast—here's a set of clothes," he said calmly, ignoring her indignant response. "And do something about your hair, would you? You look horrible."

He dropped a package on the foot of her bed and left the room, shutting the door tightly behind her. Rei groaned and laid back down on the soft pillows. Why was it that she couldn't help but let him do what he wanted? And insult her as he pleased…the idiot.

She sat up and dressed quickly, tossing the black colored turtleneck over her head and buttoning the skinny jeans. She went to the bathroom and, as a routine, brushed her teeth, washed her face, and simply stared at her reflection in the mirror.

Kanda had been right—she did look horrible. Her hair seemed to be in a worse state than before, probably because she fell asleep the night before without drying it completely. Sighing, Rei pinned up her bangs and wove her long hair into a messy bun, nothing compared to what Satoshi had done for her the day before, and exited to the kitchen. She stopped at the entrance of the room, startled.

"Oh, Yuu-chan!" grinned Lavi as Rei entered. "You let a _girl_ stay over for the night?"

"Good morning, Rei," smiled Tyki.

Rei's eyes landed on Kanda's sour expression—obviously, the two models had not been invited.

"Looks like you weren't lying—you really did sleep over at Kanda's," said Tyki. "A pity. Though I'm guessing that Kanda's enough of a prude to actually not do anything."

"Like I'd want to with someone like her," snarled Kanda.

"Could we refrain from insulting me this early in the morning?" said Rei angrily, slipping into the seat beside Tyki. "Kanda, you're such a dumbass."

"Rei-chan, you look really different without makeup on," said Lavi honestly. "I couldn't recognize you for a moment there."

"Yes, yes, I look disgusting," she said, annoyed, helping herself to a bowl of fruit and yogurt. "I get that enough from Kanda—no need to reiterate it."

"I didn't say you looked bad," said Lavi.

"Oh."

"Besides, I think Yuu looks at his reflection too much, so everyone looks disgusting to him," said the British model brightly. "You look like any other girl, don't worry about it."

Rei didn't know if that was a compliment or an insult, so she simply gave a smile and began to eat.

"Except, you know, Rei-chan, I realized this last night, and your turtleneck really accentuates it, too," continued Lavi. "You have a really nice figure."

Rei dropped her fork with a clank.

"…Thank you," she said, her cheeks burning, embarrassed.

"No problem," Lavi said, smiling. "You have a very good figure, much better than a lot of other girls. Model material, you know…if only you were a bit taller…and I guess your face isn't _that_ much of model material, but it's so-so…"

Being insulted by a supermodel had become so much of a routine that Rei didn't know how to react properly when being complimented, (even if the last phrase wasn't quite a compliment,) especially by Lavi Bookman, the most famous model in Europe. Well…second most famous model.

Because the most famous model of Europe was staring at her with his probing golden eyes, his lips parted in a smirk.

"I didn't appreciate your text being mostly in Japanese, you know," said Tyki breathily, his voice too close to her ear for her liking. "I had to Google translate it."

"Is that so," she mumbled, stuffing her mouth with pineapple as she tried to avoid his eyes.

"Yes," sighed Tyki. "And then you were completely wrong about me. I was _very_ jealous, actually."

"Jealous about what?" asked Kanda.

"The fact that she was staying over at your house," replied Tyki.

Kanda scoffed. "There's absolutely nothing to be jealous about."

"Is that so?" said Tyki. "Oh, by the way, Rei, you have a bit of yogurt on your cheek."

Before Rei could reach up to her cheek and wipe it off herself, Tyki leaned over and licked it off, his tongue lingering on her skin for what seemed like an eternity. Rei's face immediately went crimson and she jerked away, so flustered that she ended up falling out of her chair.

"Sorry, Rei," grinned Tyki, helping her up as Lavi laughed. "Couldn't help myself."

"Completely unnecessary," she said breathlessly, scooting her chair away from Tyki. "Completely, utterly unnecessary, Mikk-san."

"Aw, I thought I told you to call me Tyki."

"Stop it with your blatant flirting," said Kanda chillingly.

Tyki's liquid gold eyes flickered as he noticed Kanda's cold demeanor.

"Hm?" he mused, his devilish smirk creeping to his lips. "Is Kanda Yuu possibly jealous? But you were definitely the one who said that there was nothing to be jealous about, right? So don't mind me, Kanda, I'm just having some fun with Rei."

"I think I'll go do my homework," Rei said curtly, standing up and taking her bowl to the sink. "I don't think I want to sit here with the three greatest models of the centuries and be continually teased."

"We're not teasing you," said Lavi. "At least, Mikk's not. He's quite serious."

"I don't believe that," said Rei with a bit of immaturity.

She stalked away to the office room, pulling Kanda's textbooks out of his bag and propping them in front of the computer. No need to sit around, socializing with the gods of the showbiz world, especially when all of them were extremely eager to either insult her or tease her. One or the other, and both were equally humiliating. She really didn't fit in with them. The sudden thought of whether Kanda insulted Lenalee as much as he insulted Rei popped into her head. _Well, of course not_, she scowled. _Why would she be dating him if he did_?

And it made her equally aggravated that she _felt_ annoyed whenever she saw Lenalee. It wasn't like the Chinese model had done anything! But that lingering feeling of dislike remained…and it was completely pointless.

And then there was Tyki. Rei generally had a good grasp on her composure as long as Tyki wasn't _touching_ her, but the moment they had skin-to-skin contact, like that near-kiss from minutes before, she grew so flustered that it was almost impossible to function. And that was nothing short of embarrassing.

Rei shook her head and turned on the computer, loading the Internet in order to research on her history paper. Kanda could do his damn homework himself.

Her fingers hovered over the keys, about to type in the person she was about to do a biography about (Okubo Toshimichi). Another thought popped in her head, something less trivial than the ones she'd thought about before. Why had Kanda been the one targeted last night? Because he was the adopted son of Tiedoll? But that didn't explain everything—plenty of the celebrities last night were rich as hell. Tyki was even a part of the Portugal royal family, and if he wasn't important, then Kanda definitely wasn't.

Was there something else? Something perhaps that Kanda was trying to hide?

A little voice nagged her conscience: if Kanda didn't want to tell her, then it was none of Rei's business to go poking her nose in it. However, Rei's sense of annoyance with Kanda trumped her innate sense of justice, and if it was something terrible, well, Rei could easily blackmail Kanda and make her life a hell lot easier.

Rei confidently typed in Kanda's name into the search engine. Obviously, that was a bad idea, because all that showed up were fan sites and photo galleries. She scowled and retyped her input. Kanda Yuu…reasons to get attacked? Maybe it'd work.

The first thing that showed up was a hate site where many males had bonded together to declare their hatred for the Japanese model. Almost every reason was the same: "I was dumped by my girlfriend for this bastard."

Unable to resist a smile, Rei simply shook her head and clicked the "back" button. Who _wouldn't_ dump their boyfriend for Kanda?

On a second thought, Rei probably wouldn't.

It took a few minutes to sift through all the junk websites. On the fifth page of the search engine's results, things gradually became a bit darker, and Rei grew more immersed in her research.

"Kanda Yuu isn't all that he seems to be," said one article. "To most of the public, Kanda is a famous and successful model and a wealthy heir to Tiedoll Corporation. However, there have been floating rumors behind Kanda's real heritage.

"Kanda is the adopted son of Froi Tiedoll, leading to many speculations on who Kanda's real parents are. His mother is registered to have passed away when he was two; his father has no record of an identity. However, many detectives have drawn up a name that is quite infamous and could possibly be linked to Kanda.

"Natsuno Kenji is a dangerous man who is most well-known with his affiliations with the Japanese yakuza. Many underground dealings (illegal, of course), have been linked back to Natsuno, and when investigators dug into Kanda's past, Natsuno's name was the only one that resulted from their search.

"Of course, this is not to say that Natsuno Kenji is really Kanda's father. However, it could possibly be true, and many avid fans would like to know if it really is."

Rei finished reading the article and reread it a few times, finally reduced to simply staring at the blank computer screen.

Was she really going to believe that? The article was groundless, had no evidence and was poorly written. And if it was really true, wouldn't everyone know? No one was going to idolize the son of a yakuza, after all…

Rei was completely lost in her thoughts and did not hear someone creep up behind her.

"Boo!" whispered Tyki in her ear, catching her completely off guard and once again causing her to fall to the ground.

"Mikk!" she growled, massaging her head and climbing back onto the chair. "Don't do that!"

"Sorry, sorry," he chuckled. "And Rei, please, call me Tyki. All girls call me Tyki, all guys call me Mikk. It's just a rule." He held up her purse. "Mind if I look through this?"

"What? No! Who told you that you could?"

"No one. I already looked through it, though."

Rei snatched the purse back and dropped it on the desk.

"What did you see?" she said testily.

"My photo," he grinned.

Rei groaned; she really had kept a picture of Tyki in her wallet, one of his debut photos. How _embarrassing_…

"What're you researching?" he asked, looking at the computer screen.

Rei's head snapped up and she hastily tried to close the browser, but Tyki stopped her hand and read the article slowly.

"You're researching about Kanda?" he said with a tint of sadness.

"It was just to see why he was the only one who was targeted last night!" she said frantically, taking her hand away from Tyki's and closing the browser. "Don't tell Kanda I was looking him up."  
"It's not a big deal," shrugged Tyki. "Most of the models know, anyway."

"What?"

"Rei, having affiliations with underground organizations isn't uncommon for celebrities," explained Tyki patiently. "You know how I'm part of the Portuguese royalty, right? Of course you do," he added, smiling as she nodded. "You're my fan, after all. Well, the royalty has pretty close relations with the Mafia. Lavi is also part of the British royal family and has connections with the Royal Guard. So Kanda's relationship with the yakuza is nothing surprising, not at all."

"But he's adopted," said Rei. "So it doesn't make sense why he would still have connections. Why would anyone try to kill him?"

"That's a good question," admitted Tyki. "Why don't you ask him?"

"What? No, he'd kill me."

"Yeah, I'm pretty much about to," said Kanda's icy voice from the doorway.

Rei turned to see the Japanese model glaring daggers at the two of them and involuntarily winced at the hatred in his icy blue eyes.

"Why the hell did you have to go prying about in my business?" he demanded, fury lining his voice.

"I'm your bodyguard," said Rei defensively. "I think I have a right to know—"

"You don't," he snarled. "You get what I give you, Matsumomo, so don't go sneaking around—"

"It's not like it's a secret," said Tyki. "Besides, why does it matter that she did find out? It's not like she's going to think any less of you. And this way, it'll make her prepare for assassination situations like last night." Tyki placed a hand on Rei's head and ruffled it. "Don't blame her, Kanda. In this case, curiosity doesn't kill the cat; it prepares it."

"Shut up," snapped Kanda. "Both of you, get the hell out."

"Of your office?" said Tyki, completely unfazed with Kanda's anger.

"_Of my house_."

"Okay, I'll do that," said Tyki. "I'll drive Rei home while I'm at it."

"Reever will take her back," said Kanda.

"That's just a waste of gas," replied Tyki. "Bookman, need a ride?"

"Yeah," called Lavi's voice from the living room. "We're leaving already?"

"Yeah," said Tyki. "Kanda's chasing us out. I'll meet you in the front, Rei."

Which left Rei and Kanda alone.

"Look," said Rei somewhat apologetically. "If you didn't want me to find out, sorry that I did, but it really my business. Now that I know what I'm up against, it'll make it easier for me to protect you."

"I trusted you enough to protect me even without my explanation," he said frigidly. "Seeing as you went and found things out behind my back, you're the one without the trust."

"I—"

"There's no work tomorrow," he interrupted. "I'll see you Monday."

Rei took the dismissal and left, grabbing her purse and heading to the door. She slipped into a pair of girlish boots that had already been laid out for her and felt an unnecessary twinge of guilt.

"C'mon, Rei," said Tyki. "Later, Kanda."

"Bye, Yuu-chan!" said Lavi, shutting the door behind him and following them down the stairs to the garage. "And off we go! Where's your car, Mikk?"

"The Lotus," said Tyki as they arrived in the parking lot. He beeped the remote, and a black Lotus's lights lit up.

Rei caught her breath.

"Sweet ride," she said, walking over to it and examining it.

"Isn't it?" said Tyki. "Cost an unnecessary amount but drives like a wonder. Bookman, you sit in the back."

"Lame," said Lavi, obeying and slipping in the backseat. "We dropping off Rei-chan first?"

"Yeah," said Tyki, climbing into the driver's seat and turning on the engine. "You know the way, Rei?"

"Yeah, it's not far."

She lapsed into silence as Tyki drove, feeling guilty for upsetting Kanda. It was the first time that she'd seen him _really_ angry at _her_, which made her feel all the worse.

"Don't worry about it," said Tyki, interpreting Rei's silence correctly. "He'll get over it."

"…I suppose."

"Our photo shoot starts on Monday," said Lavi eagerly. "Rei-chan, I suppose you'll be coming to watch?"

"I think so. If Kanda lets me."

"He will," said Lavi confidently. "Besides, all three of us working together is probably something you'd want to see. You could take pictures and sell them to the public and become a millionaire overnight."

"Except don't do that," said Tyki breezily, turning right at Rei's gesture. "Marian would kill you."

They continued driving for five minutes and Tyki pulled up in front of Rei's complex.

"Here's good," she said, opening the door. "Thanks, Mikk-san."

"Hey, seriously, call me by my name," he said. At Rei's scowl, he smiled and added, "I took something from your purse, you know."

"What?"

Tyki dug into the pocket of his jacket and withdrew a set of keys.

"These your car keys?" he said, jangling them.

Rei made a dive for them, but Tyki brought them out of her reach.

"I'll be here to pick you up on Monday," he said with a smile, "and I'll tell Kanda that you don't need a ride there. And if you don't call me by my first name the next time I see you, you won't get them back."

"You bastard," she snarled as Lavi let out a whoop of laughter.

"See you later, Rei," smirked Tyki, driving off into the distance.

She watched the Lotus disappear down the street, feeling down. She had to be the luckiest girl in the world, able to meet and talk with the three hottest guys of the century. They weren't human, though, arrogant and conceited beyond belief…especially Kanda…what a jerk…

So why did it hurt so much knowing that he was angry with her?

* * *

The moment she walked into the classroom on Monday morning, Rei was greeted by a very loud shriek and shrill voice.

"YOU!" Aiko screamed at the top of her lungs, pointing an accusing finger at Rei. "YOU HURT KANDA-KUN!"

Kanda was already at his desk, looking haggard probably after being assaulted by fangirls, and was deliberately avoiding Rei's eyes.

"I didn't hurt him," said Rei shortly, walking over to her desk and setting her bag down. " If you were watching the clip properly, you would've seen that I saved his ass, so don't misinterpret."

"YES, BUT WHY WOULD YOU FEEL THE NEED TO SAVE HIM—"

"So I could save you an eternity's worth of misery if Kanda happened to die," snarled Rei, annoyed more by Kanda's attitude than Aiko's screaming even though she should've been glad for the misinterpretation. "Shut the hell up, Satsuma, and sit down."

"YOU BITCH!"

"What in the world is going on here?" said Komui, walking in the room.

He took one look at the only figures standing up, Rei and Aiko, and immediately understood.

"Matsumomo, I'd like to see you in my office," the teacher said curtly."

"What?" said Rei indignantly. "I swear, Lee-sensei, it was Satsuma who screamed her head off the moment I came in here—Í—"

"It's not about that—I have something to speak with you about. Come."

Rei paused for a moment, confused, and followed the teacher obediently out to his office.

"Sit down," said Komui, sitting down in his chair and peering at her sternly over his spectacles.

"…Am I in trouble for something?"

"For a few things, actually," admitted Komui. "First things first. You still haven't paid your tuition for next semester."

"…I…I will _definitely_ have it by the end of this month. I promise."

"And I'll take your word for it," said Komui reasonably. "The bigger issue here is the fact that your grades have dropped significantly."

Rei didn't answer.

"You've always been in the top thirty overall, sometimes hitting number one in math, though your social studies grades have always been rather lamentable. This last week, however, every test given to you was failed."

"What?" said Rei, astounded.

"Well, except for English, surprisingly enough. Even in Calculus, your strong suit, you got below a seventy. This…is surprising, Matsumomo. Especially coming from a scholarship student."

Rei was stunned. She knew her grades had dropped, but she hadn't expected them to fall _that_ badly…

"The fact remains that if you aren't able to reclaim your rank in the top thirty on the midterms, you will no longer be allowed to attend this school. I'll have to talk to Walker-kun as well…both of you have been doing poorly…"

"This is…ridiculous," said Rei. "I…"

"I can't believe it either," said Komui. "But I'm pretty sure you have a good idea as to why your grades are dropping. I believe I do, as well."

Well of course she knew why. What was the reason that had made her stay up every night watching episodes of House and reading her English-to-Japanese dictionary so much that it had almost fallen apart from use? But of course, Komui didn't know that…

"You're working for Kanda Yuu, aren't you?" he said.

She stared at him, flabbergasted.

"How…how the hell do you know?" she exclaimed.

"Matsumomo, please watch your mouth," said Komui sternly. "I heard from a very dear friend of mine."

It clicked.

"…Lenalee Lee. Shit, I forgot," said Rei, slapping her forehead with her palm. "She's your sister."

"H-How did you know?" said Komui. "But then again, of course she's my sister, she's so wonderful and smart and kind and she probably told you all about me because she loves her brother SO much and—"

"Shut up, Komui," said Kanda from behind Rei.

"Kanda!" said Komui. "Jeez, watch your mouth. I have no idea why my dearest Lenalee decided to date someone as uncouth as you…"

Kanda sat down in the seat next to Rei's.

"Let's get down to business," said the model. "Matsumomo is to continue working for me, no matter what. So I'm asking that you let her have a part-time job and still attend this school."

"But that's against the rules…"

"You let me stay here and I have a job," pointed out Kanda. "Same thing."

"Fine," said Komui exasperatedly. "Matsumomo, you can keep the job."

"In the mean time, could you let Allen-kun have a job and still attend this school too?"

"What?"

"Allen-kun has a very important job as Cross Marian's assistant," said Rei persuasively. "If he's not there, Kanda-san's pictures might not turn out very well."

"Yeah, right," scoffed Kanda.

"Ugh, fine! Though I don't know why you must have a job, Matsumomo—doesn't your father earn enough?"

"He…"

"He's out of the picture right now," said Kanda serenely, standing up. "I'm heading back to class."

He left without looking once in Rei's direction.

"Allen-kun, have you seen Kanda?" inquired Rei in a whisper.

"No, not since he managed to get away from the girls by leaving his blazer behind," answered the white-haired boy, pointing to the group of ecstatic girls swooning over Kanda's uniform. "Haven't seen him since."

Rei didn't reply, pondering.

"You're not worried about him, are you?" said Allen with a raised eyebrow.

"No…of course not."

"Don't. He treats you like trash anyway," said Allen venomously. "I wouldn't be able to stand working for him…"

"Hey, can I have the key to the rooftop?"

"Sure," he said, fishing the key out of his pocket. "Need to clear your head?"

"Yeah."

But that wasn't the reason.

Rei had a good feeling that Kanda was up on the rooftop, having somehow acquired a key. She grabbed her jacket and headed up the stairs, unlocking the door and stepping quietly out onto the smooth roof.

Kanda was sitting against the wall, his face pale and lips rather blue from the extreme cold. He looked up at her when she entered and looked away just as quickly.

"Hi," she said awkwardly, tossing him her jacket.

"I don't need it," he said icily, shrugging it off.

Rei sighed and slid down next to him, letting a few minutes pass before she spoke again.

"Sorry," she said quietly. "I didn't mean to offend you. And it's not like I didn't trust you…I was just…curious."

"Shut up," he said.

She felt a pang of hurt, opening her mouth to retort when she suddenly felt Kanda lay his head on her shoulder.

"I'm tired as hell," he muttered. "Stupid girls…and they took away my blazer too…"

Rei brought her jacket over Kanda's profile, not knowing what to say. Wasn't this sort of…romantic? Like a scene out of a drama? And this meant that she was forgiven, right?

"Stop moving around," he complained. "I didn't get an ounce of sleep last night, so let me borrow your shoulder."

"Okay…"

Rei sat still, overly cautious of her movements, sitting as still as a statue in order not to disturb Kanda. The wind blew gently and the snow began to fall. Kanda did not stir.

"Kanda?" she whispered after ten minutes.

He did not answer. He was asleep.

Rei smiled at the sight of him, the worn out model sleeping peacefully in front of her, showing her a side that'd he never show otherwise. Might as well commemorate the moment…

Rei dug her hand into her purse and withdrew her cell phone. She turned on the camera and brought it out in front of her and the fast asleep model, smiling as the snowflakes drifted down.

Snap.

Picture perfect.


	9. Winter Butterflies

**Chapter 9: Winter Butterflies**

"And just what do you think you're doing here?" said Rei, frowning.

"Like I said, I'm here to pick you up," said Tyki, flashing a brief smile. His long fingers drummed the steering wheel lightly. "Surely you didn't forget?"

"I might've," she admitted.

Rei was standing just outside the school gates; Tyki was in his flashy sleek Lotus, his music blaring, as he waited for her. Rei's fellow classmates who were exiting the school grounds at the moment shot odd looks at her; most of the girls stopped dead and gawked at Tyki. Some seemed to know who he was: international model status and all, while others were simply mesmerized by his looks. Either way, people were beginning to crowd around Rei and her unwelcome visitor.

"Rei, Rei, Rei," said Tyki. "Do stop being so harsh. Get in the car, will you? We're attracting attention."

"No thanks," Rei said, walking down the sidewalk, her bag slung over her shoulder.

She heard Tyki give a very dramatic sigh and turn on his engine, following her.

"Cut it out," growled Rei. "I'm hated at school; having you follow me isn't going to make my life any better, Tyki Mikk."

"Oh, we're getting there," said Tyki encouragingly. "You added my first name, now all you have to do is drop my last. C'mon, Rei, get in the car. I'll give you a lift to work. Besides, why'd Kanda not offer you a ride?"

"Because he left early," said Rei, noticing that a group of straggling girls were following her and the slowly moving car. "Oh, damn it, open the door, Mikk."

"It's Tyki."

"Just open it."

He pressed a button and Rei heard the bolt unlock. She opened the door and climbed in; within seconds, the car had accelerated to 160 and had joined the Tokyo roads. Rei let out a breath, glad to be away from her classmates.

"Are we going to Gucci?" asked Rei.

"Later. We're going to my place right now."

"What?"

"Just for a moment, so I can get you a set of clothes. You don't think you're presentable among us in _that_, are you?"

"You're starting to sound like Kanda," said Rei acidly, leaning against the window as she faced Tyki.

"I didn't say you looked bad."

"It was implied; besides, I'm always hideous when I come out of school."

"I'm sure it's not that bad."

"It is when you're Kanda's bodyguard…"

"Which is why I'm insisting that you quit."

"And what? Go broke?"

"No, be mine."

"You don't seem like the type who actually needs a bodyguard, Mikk, or a manager at that."

"Rei, you know, if you don't call me by my first name by the time we get to my house, you're never getting your keys back. And you're right—I don't have bodyguards or a manager. I'm very capable of handling myself, unlike your so-called 'modeling prince' of Japan."

"I don't think it's that Kanda's incapable of handling himself; it's more like the fangirls in Japan would seriously kidnap him if he didn't have any bodyguards."

"Rei, have you _ever_ seen me or Bookman on television?"

"…No, I don't think I have."

"If you think what Kanda goes through is bad, you should see what happens to Bookman and I in Europe," said Tyki, shuddering slightly. "It's _ridiculous_; they're all screaming and claiming that they love us, but I swear, they're seriously out to kill us. I've seen Kanda at one of his publicized events; think double that magnitude of girls, and that's what happens when I'm out in France or Spain…"

"…What a horrible life…"

"Other than the fans, it's not that bad," said Tyki. "Modeling, if you're a natural, is easy and enjoyable. Besides, we're rich."

"Lucky you."

It seemed they were nearing a very nice part of town; the buildings were newer and built in a modern style. Tyki slowed down in front of a beautiful complex, where a valet approached them.

"Good afternoon, sir," he said politely in English.

"Hey," greeted Tyki with a nod, "we're only going to be in there for a few minutes, and then I'll need the car again, so leave it close."

"Certainly."

Tyki got out of the car and opened Rei's door.

"Such a gentleman," she said mildly, alighting the car. "Thank you."

"My pleasure," he said, flashing another brilliant smirk.

If he kept doing that, Rei knew her heartbeat was going to ascend to unknown heights…

Tyki led her to his place, opening the door to a slick and modern-designed apartment with a large glass window that oversaw downtown Tokyo. Paintings lined the walls while occasional pictures littered the tables; a flat-screened plasma T.V. hung across a comfy-looking sofa. The kitchen was accompanied with a personal mini-bar, with bottles of wine lining the cabinets. Rei let out a whistle.

"Nice place," she remarked.

"It is, isn't it? Room down the hall to your left, Rei," he said, shutting the door behind him. "Your outfit's laid out for you."

Rei scowled but followed his gestured direction, walking down to a magnificent bedroom and shutting the door behind her. Tyki's compiled outfit was surprisingly simple: tight-fitting skinny jeans and some sort of fashionable shirt that hung unevenly over her shoulders, leaving one of them rather exposed. It had no print on it, but it was slightly laced at the hem.

"Do you want me to freeze to death, Mikk?" she said, walking out of the room.

"That's what my jacket's for," he grinned, tossing over a leather jacket much too big for her. "Let's give Kanda a nice surprise, why don't we?"

Rei rolled her eyes, sliding her hands into the jacket.

"What, you seriously think he's going to get jealous? The guy thinks I'm an idiot."

"I have my theories," replied Tyki wisely. "I just wanted to test a few of them out. Hold a moment; I have to research something."

"Research what?"

"A female bodyguard."

"What in the world for?"

"Just for some background information. You can go get something to eat from the kitchen while you wait."

Rei went to the refrigerator, pulling out a bottle of water and uncapping it. She approached Tyki silently from behind as he pored over the screen of the computer. Peering over his shoulder, Rei nearly spat out a mouthful of water as she recognized the images pulled up on the screen.

"You _CREEPER_!" she exclaimed, pushing him out of the way in order to look at the screen more closely.

"What in the world are you talking about?" said Tyki, pushing her back.

"That's my _mother_!"

"Quit joking around, that's not—holy…" Tyki's golden eyes swiveled from Rei's face back to the European woman's face on the screen. "Shit…you two have the same eyes…"

"Why in the _world_ are you looking up my mom?" she demanded.

"I had no hell of an idea that she's your mom!" said Tyki defensively. "It turns out that Cyril, my brother, had a female bodyguard a long time ago by the name of Eileen Raye, and I was only looking her up!"

"Your…brother? My mom guarded your brother?"

"Yeah…goodness, this is way too coincidental. She's your _mom_…"

"That's insane," said Rei faintly. "I heard that she was a martial artist, but nothing about her being a bodyguard…"

"So where's she now?" asked Tyki.

"She's dead," said Rei bluntly.

Tyki looked stricken. "Oh, sorry…"

"It's fine, it was when I was young, so I don't really remember all that much about her. Most of my memories were from pictures…"

Tyki sighed and closed the browser.

"We should head to work," he said. "Let's talk about this on the way—Marian will have our heads if we're late."

* * *

"Where the hell _is_ she?" said Kanda angrily.

"Chill down, Yuu," said Lavi lazily, looking up from a magazine as his hand fiddled with his tie. "She's probably just with Mikk—nothing to be worried about."

"That's precisely _why_ I'm…I'm not worried, are you an idiot?"

"Nope," said Lavi, unfazed. "I have a feeling you're the idiot…"

"I told her to come directly from school—it should've taken her ten minutes—tops—on that motorbike of hers."

"You can't expect her to illegally drive here everyday," said Allen coldly.

"Besides," Lavi added, "Mikk said that he'd pick her up from school. He's probably just dawdling."

"That disgusting player…" growled Kanda.

"Oi, oi, are you _jealous_ that he's with her, Kanda?" grinned Lavi.

"What? Hell, no, are you crazy?"

"Nope. I think you are."

Kanda opened his mouth to reply, but the entrance door opened; Rei and Tyki entered, both of them shivering slightly. Rei's thin figure seemed to be swallowed by the jacket around her shoulders; the Portuguese model wasn't wearing one, which led to Kanda's assumption that he'd given her his jacket. This observation, for some reason, only fueled Kanda's anger.

"I can't believe my mom was a bodyguard—in your family!" Rei was saying.

Was it just Kanda, or did she seem…a great deal happier than he'd ever seen her before?

"It's a small world," agreed Tyki. "But it makes me a bit depressed that your mom isn't alive—we probably would've met sooner if she were."

Kanda was expecting Rei to roll her eyes and scowl at Tyki's advances; she, however, didn't. Instead, she let out a laugh and replied,

"Mikk, your little hints aren't going to get you anywhere."

"Jeez, call me Tyki already. Or…" Tyki leaned close to her ear and whispered something.

Kanda's azure eyes and Tyki's golden ones met briefly as Tyki was speaking quietly to Rei, unnoticed by the bodyguard. The Portuguese model's lips parted into a smirk at their eye contact, but he didn't make any movement to acknowledge it.

Kanda noticed Rei's smile turn into a frown, but…it wasn't a sincere frown. Almost like…a pouty, flirtatious frown.

"Give them back," she said.

"Say my name."

"No, give them back."

"Give what back?" Kanda snarled, finally intervening in their banter.

"My motorcycle's keys," scowled Rei. "He stole them from my purse and now he's not giving them back."

"I will, but only when she agrees to call me Tyki, not just 'Mikk.' Do you know how depressing that is?"

"Oi, you're nearly late," called Lavi from across the room. "You know how I hate it when people are late to work."

"My bad, Bookman."

"We're going to begin," said Cross, entering from the salon, "now that the final model's arrived. Oh, hey, Rei."

"Hello, Cross-san."

"How can you call _Marian_ by his first name but not me?" said Tyki.

"Shut up, _Tyki_. There, are you happy?"

"Very."

"Now give me back my keys."

"Here." He fished them out of his pocket and dropped them in her outstretched hands. "See, I'm a man of my word."

Rei looked startled at his sincerity and quick reply.

"Thanks," she said, pocketing them.

"Oi, Rei, I have a few things for you," said Cross. "You three, into the salon to get ready. Boy," he addressed Allen, "get the setup ready. Rei, I need you to look through these."

Kanda gave a loud and aggravated sigh, causing Rei to look in his direction. She waved like a moron. He simply scowled in return before following Tyki and Lavi into the dressing room.

"This is going to be a good experience," remarked Tyki as he sat down in a chair.

"Yeah, it will," agreed Lavi. "It'd be better if you weren't late all the time."

"Jeez, Bookman, you're so laidback about most things, but when it comes to work, you're just as bad as Marian."

"Modeling's important to me," said Lavi with a shrug as a makeup artist began applying a powder to his face. "I'd appreciate it if you held it in the same regard."

"It's not like it's not important to me…it's just I had some things on my mind."

"Like what?" retorted Kanda. "Matsumomo?"

"Jealous, Kanda?"

"Go to hell."

"Wow, your temper doesn't reflect at all the image I got when I looked at your pictures," said Tyki. "Indifference, iciness…you are much more hot-headed than I'd anticipated. Or does that just happen when situations involve Rei?"

"For once in my life, I'm agreeing with Bookman," snarled Kanda. "Be a bit more professional about your work."

"Yeah, yeah," said Tyki lazily.

It was Tyki's unprofessionalism that pissed Kanda off. Definitely. It wasn't seeing Rei and him together that had annoyed him, absolutely not…besides, what was there to be annoyed at? The fact that she was late, of course, not the fact that she'd been wearing Tyki's clothes, or had been chatting animatedly with him…

The three models reemerged into the studio, properly attired for the photo shoot. It was a simple start, with the three of them in collared button-ups and ties. Tyki was black, Lavi was red, Kanda was blue. What image Cross wanted to create for the three of them, none of them knew.

Rei was sitting on a chair, having removed her jacket.

"What is she wearing?" said Kanda, disbelieving. "She's going to be freezing, and she looks atrocious."

"Oi, I chose out the outfit," said Tyki. "It's got a bit of flair and boldness to it, all right? Besides, you can't dress her up in blouses and collared shirts all the time—that's what she goes to school in. Let her loosen up a bit with her clothes, would you? She's more comfortable in them."

"Shut up, Mikk."

Before Tyki had a chance to reply, Cross walked over to them, handing each of them a portfolio.

"Inside the folder are pictures of the three of you," he explained, lighting a cigarette, "all of which I took. I've given Rei one as well. She's seemed to studied my photos, so I've asked for a bit of her input."

Kanda flipped through the photos. The pictures of Lavi and Tyki were all unrevealed ones to the public; Kanda had never seen them before. Kanda's own pictures were the recently taken ones with Kate Schrödlich, nothing phenomenal. Tyki let out a low whistle.

"Damn, Bookman…these are really good."

"Shut it, I'd daresay yours are better. And Kanda's aren't half-assed either, though they're not individual shots…"

All the photos were taken in a semi-snowy environment. Lavi's album was shot outside an old cathedral of London; the British model looked distant and at the same time appealing to the viewer. Tyki's photos were taken in…Belgium, it seemed, by some sort of river. There were faraway shots, but the aloofness that Kanda hadn't known existed in Tyki had been captured perfectly. Kanda frowned. These guys were better than he'd thought…

"You're only looking at the others' photos," commented Cross, peering down at him. "Why not yours?"

"Those…aren't worth mentioning."

"They can be better, I suppose," admitted Cross. "It'd be easier for me to take individual shots of you, but I was required to take them with Kate. Oh well. They'll get better." The photographer turned to Rei. "Hey, dear, done yet?"

The bodyguard walked over to them, nodding.

"Quite the set of pictures, Cross-san," she said.

"Aren't they? So, then, in front of all these guys, who's the best model?"

Rei's green eyes flickered slightly.

"You seriously want me to say who's the best model? Isn't that sort of…biased?"

"Yeah," said Lavi. "I mean, Yuu will murder her if she says it's not him."

He would _not_…but she _was_ biased. Obviously, she'd pick Tyki…seeing as she was infatuated with him like the idiot she was.

"Don't get scared of Kanda, Rei," said Cross encouragingly.

"I am not scared of him," she said shortly. "But I feel bad saying who I think."

"Just go on."

"Fine. Hands-down, Lavi Bookman takes the cake."

There was a silence.

"Seriously?" said Lavi incredulously. "I thought you were going to say Kanda or Mikk! Definitely not me!"

"I'm not being prejudiced," said Rei, shrugging. "These photos…your expressions are the best." She pulled out a few sheaves of paper from her folder. "For example…" she held them up. "Bookman pulls off the best, well, everything. Kanda's signature look is his glare, while Mikk's is his smirk. You, however, are able to do either just as well. In addition, you smile, which makes a girl feel more at ease when she sees your picture." She waved around the glossy photos of Lavi. "In one picture, you're distant, almost untouchable. But I flipped over the page, and all of a sudden, your aura changed into something welcoming and…well…I dunno. I liked it. So when it comes to modeling ability, I've gotta say that you're the best."

"Good job," said Cross. "She's exactly right. Out of the three of you, Bookman is the most experienced and best model. Out of the three of you, Kanda is the least experienced. Kanda, I'm sure you've heard this already: you're very limited in expressions. Indifference and anger are your key features, and occasionally enticement. Mikk, you're next. You can portray aloofness, allurement, sometimes anger, and a sort of nonchalant 'sexiness' very well; the last quality was what made the Mediterranean set of photos so good, and managed to launch you on the international stage. Bookman can do all expressions: happiness, sadness, anger, sexiness, et cetera. No offense, I can't imagine Kanda or Tyki winking and smiling."

"Maybe Mikk," said Rei. "Definitely not Kanda."

"Shut it, Matsumomo."

"But she's right," Cross said. "However, it's not like you _have_ to smile in order to be a good model; you don't have to do the exact same things that Bookman does. You should probably think about the changes you could display in your images though…same to you, Mikk. And Bookman, that's not to say you're without flaws; be sure to bring your expression more in depth."

"Gotcha."

"Today's photo shoot is going to be relatively short, sort of like a prologue to the long term project. For today, it'll just be group shots; later on, I'll be doing individual shots, and not just in the studio. We'll be going to different places."

"What image do you want us to portray tonight?" questioned Lavi.

"It's up to you," said Cross enigmatically.

"What?" said Kanda indignantly. "Our three images clash; how can we—"

"That's the point," interrupted the redheaded photographer. "You need to learn how you guys can complement each other. Believe me, you three are the best of the young model generation; putting you three together can lead to one hell of a success. The only question is, how are you all going to enhance each others' images while bolstering your own? You all need to decide that yourself." He let out a ring of smoke. "I'll give you ten minutes; talk it over yourselves."

He walked away, accompanied by a nervous Allen to the salon. Kanda let out an angry breath.

"What kind of stupid assignment is this…" he muttered under his breath.

"It's just a short photo shoot," said Lavi consolingly. "Nothing too bad. Any suggestions?"

"We need to find common ground," said Tyki thoughtfully. "What can we all advertise?"

"Well, that's not very hard," said Rei, flipping through the photos. "An aura of enticement is very common among all three of you. That should be enough for now; I think he wants you to think over any changes that you could make to your image and apply them later on. Today's shoot is just going to be a way for you to learn of each others'….flairs." She shut the folder with a snap. "I'll go sit on the sidelines; I have to study." She ran a finger through her hair, ruffling the curls down her shoulders. "See you."

* * *

Lavi Bookman seemed like a completely different person when he modeled. The difference in his ability and Kanda's was apparent; the British model switched expressions with ease that obviously came with a great deal of experience. Any command from Cross was obeyed with no trouble at all, a smile changed to a smirk and then a scowl without any effort at all. Rei could see that Tyki was unperturbed by Lavi's ability; he was obviously familiar with it. The Portuguese model also changed from smirk to scowl very well; his smile, though smooth, did not reach his eyes, causing the opposite effect of sending shivers down Rei's spine. Tyki seemed to know this himself and made no effort to correct himself. He seemed content with the small gap between Lavi and his skill.

However, Rei noticed that Kanda was slightly disturbed by the disparity between his ability and the others'. It seemed as if the Japanese model was unaccustomed to falling short of other models. Rei couldn't blame him; Kanda was the best model in the country and had yet to ascend the international stage. This was the first time that he'd worked with someone better than him.

When the two of them left the studio, Kanda's car keys in Rei's hands, Kanda was in a bad mood, snapping at every little thing that Rei did. She abided with it for a while, feeling bad that he was disappointed in his performance and keeping her mouth shut. Her patience did not last very long, however.

"And what the hell were you thinking, coming late?" ranted Kanda. "You could actually try to take your damn job a bit more seriously—"

"Will you _shut up_?" snapped Rei, finally rounding on him. "You've been going on about this forever! I already tried to explain—Mikk took keys and wouldn't give them back, so the only way I was going to get to the studio on time was if I rode with him!"

"But _you were late_!"

"I didn't know we were going to his house!" she said furiously. "Stop venting all your frustration out on me! It's not my damn fault that you're angry with yourself!"

"Myself? I'm definitely not, you idiot—"

There was a rush of sound from Rei's right side, the all too familiar sound of a gun cocking and the impending pathway of a bullet. She acted instinctively, lurching forward and pulling her employer down by a car seconds before a bullet clipped the space that they were just in. They were thankfully at the BMW that Kanda had driven there; she beeped open the doors and shoved the model inside, climbing over him to the driver's seat. She could see the men clad in black gathering behind her, their guns raised, ready to shoot.

"Are they idiots?" she snarled, switching the engine on and reversing immediately. "They don't think I'd run them over?"

And run them over she did. A thud resounded against the car, and Rei knew that she'd hit someone. She switched over to 'drive' and accelerated out of the garage, wincing as a bullet shattered the mirror on her right. She pulled out immediately onto the streets, mingling in with the cars on the highway, checking her rearview mirror to see if anyone was following them.

"I don't think they're going to tail us," she noted after a few seconds of silence. She was unnaturally relaxed after the experience. "There's no way they could in this traffic, anyway…so, you going to explain why the yakuza are after you, Kanda?"

He let out an angry snarl before consenting. "So you've probably read some stupid blog and found out that Natsuno Kenji is my…relative."

"Is he really?" said Rei dubiously. "I don't think he looks a thing like you."

"Well, I'm not sure about it either, but it's indisputable that we've got some sort of blood relationship."

"Okay…so say you're his…son. Why's he after you?"

"Tiedoll adopted me when I was eleven or so, when he found me wandering on the streets after I'd run from the yakuza. Seeing my potential as a model of some sort, he became my 'father' on paper, telling the authorities that both my parents were dead. Of course, eleven years old is old enough to know a good bit of the shady dealings going on in the organization—they want me dead because I know about them."

"…Are they really important?"

"Very."

"…I suppose I can't hear about them."

"Unless you want to die."

"Such ominous words," she muttered. "Fine, I'll drop it. At least I have a reason to know why some freaks are trying to kill you even though you're going to be an international model soon…so do you want to go to your apartment, Kanda?"

He seemed a bit alarmed with her calm demeanor but said nothing about it.

"No, we're going to yours. I told Reever to move some stuff to my new apartment, but not everything's there yet, so I'll stay over at your place for a while."

"What?" she said. "No! There's no way we're going to school together—Satsuma will _MURDER_ me, Kanda! Why can't you be more considerate of me?"

"We're not going to school anymore," he said tersely.

Rei nearly slammed on the brakes.

"What?"

"We're not going to school," he repeated. "Not for at least a week."

"Kanda, exams are this week!"

"Too bad—I'll explain to Komui; he'll excuse us or find some way around it. An attack in broad daylight isn't natural, Matsumomo. We're lying low for a while. There aren't any links of you to me that are known by the general public; the people who know what your occupation is are Reever, Marian, Bookman, Mikk, and the moyashi, as well as my own personal employees, who won't care. Oh, and Lenalee and Komui. But I've asked that Komui keep your address and all personal contact information on file and to never release them; we should play it safe and stay close to your place, where no one will think of going."

"This is ridiculous," said Rei faintly, pulling into the driveway of her apartment complex. "No exams…I'm going to fail out of school…"

"It doesn't matter—it's almost Christmas, anyway. No one's going to care. And it's not like you have to go to college."  
"You…"

"You should be glad," he said serenely as Rei shut off the ignition and climbed out of the car. "Now that annoying Mikk won't be around as often."

"He's not that bad," she said frostily, leading the way to her apartment. "I happen to actually have a history with him."

She saw a flicker in Kanda's cobalt eyes and, for some reason, was pleased that she had perked his interest.

"Explain," he said coldly.

"Turns out that my mother guarded his brother some time ago," she explained, opening the door and stepping inside the room. "Small world, isn't it?"

"Mikk and his family have a notorious reputation for affiliations with the mafia in Europe," said Kanda, inviting himself in the warmth and shutting the door behind him. "It'd be in your best interest to stay away from him."

"Could you stop being such a dominating jerk?"

"It's for your safety!"

Rei paused at his words, sensing some sincerity behind them. Why did that one exclamation, though said in a condescending tone, make her happy? She really needed to stop it with these brief moments of elation…

"Fine," she consented. "I'll be more on guard around him. Now, are you sure Lenalee Lee won't mind that you're staying over at my house? That's bound to spark some jealousy."  
"She's not that petty."

"I don't know…" murmured Rei. "Girls can be really ferocious. Besides, aren't you going to spend Christmas with her?"

"Probably not."

"You're a crappy boyfriend," she said, secretly delighted.

"Who are you to judge? I have to call her to tell her…"

Kanda retreated into the kitchen to make the call, leaving Rei with a silly smile on her face. Christmas…looks like she wasn't going to be alone, after all. In fact, she was going to be able to spend it with a grouchy Grinch who just happened to be the number one model in Japan. She grinned and sat down on the sofa, shaking her head. Damn…the butterflies just wouldn't stop.

* * *

"You're _what_?" said Lenalee into the phone, dropping her spoon into her yogurt with a loud clank.

The Chinese model heard her boyfriend sigh on the end of the other line.

"I said," he said, his voice hazy but still alluring as ever, "that due to another attack on me this morning, I'm not going to be going out in public except for work, which is going to be the weekdays later this week. I know Christmas is Sunday, but it's for my safety…"

"But you're with another girl!" said Lenalee, horrorstruck.

"She doesn't count as a girl," said Kanda icily.

"I heard that," said a voice in the background of Kanda's phone. Lenalee strained to hear the female voice speak again. "Kanda, if you're going to be such an asshole, get the hell out of my house!"

"You really shouldn't talk like that to your employer," he said scathingly, his voice grainy, which probably meant that he'd turned away from the receiver to address her.

"Oh, shut up," said the female voice. "I came to ask what you wanted for dinner."

Lenalee pursed her lips. She was making him dinner? Even Lenalee hadn't gotten around to that!

"Anything," said Kanda. "You decide."

Lenalee gave a brief smile. Of course, Kanda wouldn't go around revealing his favorite foods to the world—only _she_ knew Kanda that well. She was his girlfriend, after all, and she would know him best.

"Whatever," said Rei's voice. "You're probably one of those tempura soba fanatics, like the traditional Japanese idiot you are…so boring…"

Lenalee stiffened at Rei's reply. She'd guessed so easily…

"…Did you read that somewhere?" said Kanda, a tint of surprise lining his voice.

"Of course not. Since when did you even talk to the public? I just guessed. Well, I'm going out to buy supplies; be a good boy and stay in the house. Lock the door behind me, Kanda, and don't get in trouble."

"Don't talk to me like I'm two, Matsumomo."

"But you're that immature, so I just assumed—"

"Oh, shut up, woman, you're not much better—"

"Hey, you're the one snapping your head off at the world when you're frustrated—"

"I was _not_—"

"Stop it!" shrieked Lenalee into the phone.

There was a dead silence.

"I'm…I'm sorry," said the Chinese model, burying her face in the palm of her hand. "Sorry, could you tell her that I want to talk to you for a while? Alone?"

"…Sure." There was a rustling sound; Kanda had turned to Rei. "Go away."

"By all means," said Rei's voice a bit coolly.

"Sorry," said Lenalee in a small voice.

"It's nothing," said Kanda. "I guess that was a bit inappropriate for the moment…"

"A bit," laughed Lenalee shakily, trying to get the atmosphere to lighten up. "So…um…about Christmas…your safety is the most important, so I understand if you can't hang out."

"Yeah…"

"Um…Kanda…"

"What?"

The words wanted to tumble out of Lenalee's mouth so much, but she resisted. How selfish they were…

"Lenalee?" said Kanda's voice in inquiry.

"It's nothing…I…I have to go to work. So…I'll call you back later?"

"Yeah, okay."

"…Well then…bye."

"Bye."

Lenalee set the phone down in front of her, disappointed. Once again, he hadn't said the words she'd wanted to hear. It'd been Lenalee who'd confessed to Kanda first, and even in their months of dating, he'd never said the words "I love you" to her. She supposed that they weren't really part of Kanda's personality, but all the same…

And the issue of Matsumomo Rei disturbed her so much…she hadn't thought much of the bodyguard the first time she'd seen her, but after seeing Rei dolled up so well at the Gucci social gathering, Lenalee couldn't help think that there was a chance that Kanda would…perhaps…fall for her. And not only because Rei could look pretty—Rei was actually _good_ at her work, she could actually protect Kanda, which meant that he had a use for her…

How Lenalee wished that she could've told Kanda the amount of anxiety she felt…but there was nothing to do about it. She shook her head and prepared herself for work.

* * *

"Hola, Tyki, how's it going?" said Road.

"Hey, Road. We had our first photo shoot today as a group—nothin' special, really. I'm hoping to get better vibes out of Kanda by the end of this thing…"

"Oh. He's not good?"

"He's good, but I feel like he could be better…"

"Oh. Well, let's not talk about him. How are things going with your bodyguard lady?"

"…Well, I suppose? I don't really know…I guess I'm not trying all that hard, really. I have an appointment with some manager woman that works under Cross tonight, so I'm thinking about that instead of Rei."

"Ha, Tyki, you're such a player…"

"Pft. What'd you expect? It's not like I'm going to work solely on attracting one girl who's rather hard to catch. Say, did Cyril ever say anything about Eileen Raye?"

"Oops, I forgot to ask. Well, he wants to talk to you anyway, so I'll hand over the phone now."

"Uh, no, Road, that's okay—"

"TYKI!" shouted a jubilant voice in the phone. Tyki winced at the loud sound.

"Hey…" he said, almost groaning.

"What, not going to greet your brother? What an awful fellow! After I was going to say a monologue on how much I missed you!"

"Please don't," said Tyki. "I just wanted to ask you a question about Eileen Raye, your female bodyguard."

"Oh!" said Cyril. "What a wonderful girl she was! Very attractive, very strong. Pity, she left me for some Asian man…ah, I wanted to keep her with me for so long…"

"Well, it turns out I met her daughter here in Japan," smirked Tyki.

There was a dull silence.

"…Cyril?" said Tyki hesitatingly.

"Her daughter?" Cyril repeated, serious for once.

"Yeah. Matsumomo Rei. She's working for Kanda. I happened to meet her, and she's rather interesting."

"…Tyki."

"…Yeah?"

"Whatever you do, get her to work for you."

"What? Why?"

"Do it."

"…Uh, I don't know if she will—"

"Both Eileen and her husband are the most accomplished martial artists and bodyguards of the century," said Cyril. "That child will have inherited both their skills. She may be rather inexperienced now, but as time grows, she will be one of the best bodyguards of all times. We _need_ her. I would like the set."

"…The set?"

"Never mind, Tyki. Just get her to work for you; I don't care how you do it. And bring her back to Portugal."

"Cyril, that's quite some demand…"

"You have an infinite time to work it out. Let's just say you don't need to come back until you get her to work for you."

"What?"

"Okay, that'll be all!" said Cyril cheerfully. "I've gotta go."

"Wait, at least explain what you mean by the set—!"

"Be safe, Tyki!"

And he hung up, leaving Tyki terribly confused and annoyed.

Oh well…at least that sexy manager would provide some amount of entertainment tonight, and hopefully a bit of festive cheer.

* * *

"Kanda," said Rei.

The model looked up from his textbook.

"What?"

"I'm going out to shop. Do you want anything?"

"No shops are open right now, Matsumomo. But no, I don't need anything."

"…Anything special for dinner? It _is_ Christmas."

"No, all the soba's been prepared in the fridge."

"…All right then," she said.

Rei stepped out into the snowy streets, wallet tucked in the inner folds of her trench coat. She felt like walking to the stores today, even though a good deal of them were closed. Besides, she had to finish Kanda's present…and at least _that_ store was open.

Rei entered the printing store, where Allen and Cross were already waiting for her.

"Hey," she greeted. "Do you have them?"

"Yeah," replied Cross, handing her a manila envelope. "Though I have no idea why you need them."

"Christmas present to Kanda," said Rei brightly. "Oh, and here you go," she said, withdrawing two packages from her pocket. "Merry Christmas."

"Aw, sweet, Rei, _chocolate_!" said Allen happily, unwrapping his present. "I forgot, all your food is way too salty, but you can at least make some amazing homemade chocolate."

"You're welcome," she said sarcastically.

"Thanks," said Cross. "Well, then, those pictures were my Christmas present to you."

"Sure, thanks."

She tucked them in her jacket.

"Well, I'll be going now," she said. "I have to finish putting things together."

"Good luck."

Rei took the photos and walked to the backroom of the store. Since she was a regular customer, Rei had been allowed to utilize the backroom to compile the collage that she'd planned on making for Kanda. She'd finished most of it already, and now, all she needed to do was paste the photo she'd just gotten from Cross in the center. Rei took a look through the photos; they were pretty good, though it was easy to see that Lavi was the best one out of them all. Oh well…maybe Kanda wouldn't notice. Actually, he probably would. It was going to be the centerpiece after all…

Because what Rei was doing was gathering pictures of Kanda's career and putting together a collage in a rather large picture frame. Individual shots, group shots…all of them were classic pictures that had helped Kanda ascend to fame. Rei had even been kind enough to include a picture of him and Lenalee, annoyed as that had made her. And the central picture was going to be one that even Kanda hadn't seen yet—the pictures that Cross had taken earlier in the week.

Not only that…Rei had printed out a copy of the picture she'd taken from school, the one with Kanda sleeping on the roof. It was a cute picture…something that a girl would take with her boyfriend. It wasn't like she was putting it in sight on the frame; she was simply going to stick it between the collage and the back of the frame. The picture was going to remain unseen, but knowing it was there made her feel better.

Rei was a bit disturbed with the feelings that had stirred up for Kanda. More than once over the last week, she'd felt her cheeks burn, her heartbeat quicken, or those familiar butterflies fluttering in her stomach whenever Kanda spoke to her suddenly or said something rather alluring. In fact, he had almost been…nice over the last week. Less jibes, less insults. It made her feel better about him.

Rei finished gluing the collage in place and flipped it over so that she could see the whole thing. She smiled. It looked good. Professional, almost. She was happy with the result. Or was she happy with the prospect of giving it to him?

She slipped the frame into a bag and made her way out of the store, bringing her scarf tightly around her neck. Snowflakes began to fall from the sky. She smiled at the sight of them as her green eyes scanned the white winter wonderland. Christmas with Kanda. How exciting. Those butterflies were stirring up again.


	10. Screwed Up

**Chapter 10: Screwed Up**

Kanda was in Rei's room. He hadn't meant to actually go in it…he had just been looking for a calculator so he could do his calculus practice exam. And it had seemed appropriate that that nerd of a girl would have a calculator.

So he had walked in her room.

And he really regretted it now.

Over the course of the last week, Rei had been adamant in maintaining what she called "personal space."

Her long tirades about it could basically just be summed up as "Stay the hell away from me and I'll stay the hell away from you." Of course, that meant infiltrating each others' rooms; Kanda had been given the guest room, and Rei had been kind enough to leave him alone whenever he was in it. He hadn't expected to feel bad for breaking the system though.

Rei's room was rather messy. The bed wasn't made, bags were tossed here and there, books were strewn over the table. Kanda, even though he was a neat freak, was not disturbed by the disorderliness. What he _was_ disturbed by was the poster of Tyki Mikk taped up on the wall to the right of Rei's bed.

Kanda walked closer to wall, looking up at the image. It wasn't a huge poster, blown up to the point where the photo was distorted. No…upon closer inspection, the picture was simply one that Rei had cut out of a magazine and taped up. Not a move of fanatic; simply a move of an admirer.

Nevertheless, it annoyed him. Just _what_ did she see in him? If it was his modeling abilities, well…Kanda would've preferred it if she'd admired Lavi Bookman more.

On a second thought, maybe not.

In fact, what was he upset by in the first place? It wasn't any of his business who Rei admired; she kept the admiration to the barest minimum and most of her behavior was still professional when it came to meeting the actual model…actually, not really…seeing as Rei had taken the luxury of being late to the first photo shoot and had been completely unabashed with the fact that she had been blatantly flirting with Mikk in public.

So back to the question of why he was upset. Was he jealous? Hell, no. Perhaps he was feeling inferior. Yes, that was most likely it. The fact that Rei had never blushed or acted like a crazed fangirl when she was around him had disturbed him the most. He, Kanda Yuu, was normally used to being fawned over. So when his own employee fawned over someone else other than him, obviously, he was disturbed. Because he felt inferior. Yes, that was all.

And thus, the solution?

…What was the problem to begin with?

A voice at the door, frigid and angry, jolted Kanda out of his thoughts.

"And _what_," said Rei, her green eyes flashing, "would have driven you to break your word on _Christmas Day_ and enter my room?"

"Calculator," he replied bluntly.

"You couldn't _wait_?" she said furiously. "No, Kanda Yuu can never wait on people, he just has to go invading his hostess's privacy by going into her room when she _explicitly_ told him to _stay the hell out_."

"What's there to hide?" he challenged. "The fact that you have a picture of Mikk?"

"That is _besides_ the point."

"I don't really care about that, if that's what you're worried about."

"Did I ask you if I gave a damn whether or not you cared about it?" she said heatedly. "I was asking why the hell you couldn't respect my wishes for once in your freaking life and stay out!"

Rei strode over to him and pulled him out of the room by his wrist, slamming the door to her room behind them.

"Trust Kanda Yuu to screw up Christmas," she snarled. "Trust Kanda Yuu to screw up _everything_."

"If you hate being around me, then don't."

"You're in _my_ freaking house."

"If you don't want me in it," he said sourly, "then why don't you just get Mikk or somebody to keep you company."

Incredulity lined her face.

"What in the world does Mikk have to do with _anything_ that we're talking about!"

"Uh, the poster?"

"The poster doesn't matter—it's a simply action done by a simple person! Nothing else! Why are you so worked up about it?"

"I'm not!"

"Then stop bringing it up, you freaking pissy model!"

"You—"

"Merry Christmas," Rei snapped, tossing a gift bag at him. "An egocentric gift for an egocentric person. Here I was, expecting it to be a nice gesture on my part to give you a gift seeing as you've rather nice over the last week, but no, you just had to screw everything up on the last day. Now if you'll just sit down and stop trying to go in my room, I'll get lunch ready and get you a calculator."

"I don't _need_ a gift from you," said Kanda.

"Then chuck it in the garbage."

Rei stalked away to the kitchen, leaving Kanda alone in the living room. The model gave an exasperated sigh, taking the gift and sitting down on the sofa to open it. Stupid girl—always saying one thing and doing another. If she had been so angry, why had she even bothered to give him a gift at all?

* * *

Rei was actually smiling as she cooked.

Kanda had most definitely been jealous. Yes, definitely. Why else had he brought up the picture of Mikk so many times? Probably because Rei didn't have a picture of _him_ taped up on his wall, and thus, Kanda felt neglected. Yes, indeed.

But why Rei was feeling so happy was beyond her. Surely she didn't revel in the fact that perhaps her opinion in models actually meant something to Kanda? After all, she was just a bodyguard…

The miso was simmering and the soba was heated up; Rei ladled the contents of each out onto two trays, one for her, one for her employer. She should probably charge him for feeding and babysitting fees…

"Here you go," she said with feigned shortness, setting the tray down in front of him and joining him on the sofa.

Rei reached over the table and flipped on the television, digging her spoon in the miso and beginning to eat. Kanda was studying, his blue eyes reading up and down the pages of a calculus text, his brows furrowed in incomprehension. Rei glanced over at him as he began to scribble something on a scrap sheet of paper.

"You're doing it wrong," she said after a few seconds of watching him work.

Kanda looked up, annoyed.

"What?"

"You're doing it wrong," she repeated. "The derivative of cosine is negative sine, not positive sine. And you forgot the Chain Rule."

"…But the derivative of sine is cosine."

"Yeah," she said exasperatedly, setting aside her tray. "But just because the derivative of sine is cosine doesn't mean that the derivative of cosine is sine."

Kanda looked at her blankly.

"It's just a rule," said Rei shortly, leaning over and taking his pencil from him. "Sine's derivative is cosine, cosine's derivative is negative sine. But because this problem is asking the derivative of sine of cosine, you have to remember the Chain Rule." She wrote down the problem and worked it out for him. "So—"

"Why aren't you blushing?" said Kanda irritably.

Rei stared at him.

"I'm teaching you calculus," she said. "What's there to blush at?"

"The mere fact that you're near me, or that we have the slightest bit of skin contact…"

"You are the most egotistical person I know," she said, disbelieving. "Are we _supposed_ to just blush when we're next to you?"

"That's the normal reaction."

"Give me a break," she said angrily, tossing the pencil on the book and leaning back. All her previous elation was gone. "Why do you think that every girl in the world is supposed to fall for you just because you're handsome? Because you've got one crappy personality, Kanda, and—"

Her sentence was cut off suddenly as Kanda threw his book aside and pushed her down on the sofa, his arms pressing hers down firmly by the sides of her head.

"So Mikk doesn't have a crappy personality?" said Kanda coldly.

"W-what?" Rei stammered.

"What do you think of me?" he asked, his black hair so long that a few strands brushed Rei's cheek.

"You're…my boss. That's it."

His grip on her wrists tightened.

"So what about Mikk?"

"He's…just someone I admire. As a model. But as a person, we're not even friends or anything. Could you stop snapping about him now?"

"If you were in this sort of position with Mikk, you'd probably be crimson right now," Kanda said icily. "Your heart would be beating so fast that you wouldn't be able to make coherent sentences. Why is it different with me if what you feel for him is just admiration?"

Rei did not even try to answer. Why did he think that she _wasn't_ feeling that right now? Her heart was beating so quickly that she thought it would explode, and even though her cheeks weren't flushing, thank God, the butterflies in her stomach were going insane. This was _Kanda_, best loved male in Asia, and she was in one of those positions that was normally only seen in a drama, and Kanda thought she wasn't affected?

His face was terribly close to hers; Rei felt her breaths grow short as she grew mesmerized in those azure eyes. Was he actually going to…

Rei shut her eyes unconsciously. The next thing she knew, the weights on her wrists lifted and Kanda got off of her, sitting back up on the sofa. She opened her eyes, blinking as the light flooded her vision again, and sat up as well.

Kanda was smirking.

"What the hell?" she said.

"That wasn't too hard," he remarked, getting his tray. "Looks like I'm not inferior in any way."

"What the hell are you playing at?" she demanded.

"Trying to see what my effect on you was," he said with an indifferent shrug. "Not bad, really. What, you thought I was actually going to kiss you?"

Rei's cheeks burned at his insult as she opened her mouth furiously. Before she could, however, Kanda continued speaking.

"And even if I did, it wouldn't have been anything serious," he said. "Models have those kinds of shoots all the time—it would've just been practice or something similar."

"Practice," Rei repeated frigidly.

"Yeah."

"Practice," she said again.

Kanda raised an eyebrow, as if debating whether or not she was really an idiot. "Yes, for the last time—"

"You are the biggest—" she grabbed a pillow and threw it at him, "—_jackass_ I've ever met in my life!"

Kanda caught the pillow, but Rei had been prepared for that and simply took another to bang across his head. The force of the impact caught him off guard, and he fell off the sofa. Rei stood up right above him and threw the pillow she had with as much strength as she could muster; before he had time to get back up, Rei took his lunch and stalked off to the kitchen, making much noise along the way, and threw the contents of Kanda's meal into the trash can.

Kanda joined her moments later.

"What the hell?" he said angrily.

"Go starve and die," she said frostily, downing the rest of her soup and slamming the bowl into the sink. "Actually, better yet, get the hell out of my house and into your little woebegone apartment and just sit there and wait for someone to freaking come kill you because if they don't, then I seriously will by the end of the day—"

"It was a joke!"

"It was _SO—NOT—A—JOKE!_" she yelled, more upset than she really should have been, looking for something to throw at him. Her eyes landed on a set of kitchen knives. She picked them up, causing Kanda to retreat a few steps.

"Careful, now…" he said warily.

"What the hell made you think that I'm just some dispensable object that doesn't exist with any sort of emotions! First you sneak into my room, then you yell at me for having a picture of someone you don't like, and then you play around as if I can't possibly be affected by your stupid advances and _THEN YOU BLOW IT ALL OFF AS A JOKE_! IT CLEARLY WASN'T!"

"Put the knife down, Matsumomo," said Kanda, easing back.

"YOU SHOULD JUST GO JUMP OF A CLIFF AND DIE—"

The phone rang abruptly, cutting Rei off in the middle of her sentence. She shot a death glare at Kanda, as if daring him to leave, and took the phone off its cradle.

"Matsumomo household," she said coldly, twirling a knife expertly in her hand as she made sure Kanda didn't leave.

No one answered for a moment.

"If this is a prank call, know that I'll personally come find you and beat the shit out of you because I'm pissed off," she said in the phone. "Speak up now or I'll carry out my threat."

"…Rei?" said a voice that was all too familiar.

"…Dad?" Rei said, shocked, dropping the knife. It clattered onto the floor, narrowly missing her foot.

"Ah, so it is you, Rei," Eiji chuckled. "Hi, how are you doing?"

Rei's temper had certainly gotten shorter as of late. After already being pissed off at Kanda, Rei was not in the mood to exchange pleasantries with the father that had mysteriously disappeared on her for six months. And now that she knew he was alive and probably safe, her anxiety that normally existed when thinking about her father disappeared and was replaced by anger.

"Where the hell are you?" she said icily.

"I'm…not in Tokyo," he said cryptically.

"Where the hell have you been?"

"I—"

"WHY THE HELL DID YOU LEAVE ME ALONE?" she shouted.

Kanda winced at her loud voice.

"Calm down, dear," said Eiji nervously. "I can explain—"

"YOU SURE AS HELL BETTER EXPLAIN, OLD MAN—LETTING ME LIVE WITHOUT ANY MONEY FOR SIX MONTHS AND FORCING ME TO ACTUALLY GET A JOB FOR ONE OF THE BIGGEST ASSHOLES OF THE CENTURY—"

"Hey," interrupted Kanda, annoyed.

Rei continued her harangue, ignoring him.

"AND NOT LEAVING A NOTE OR ANYTHING, MAKING ME WORRY MY ASS OF THAT YOU DIED OR SOMETHING, YOU BETTER EXPLAIN RIGHT NOW, OLD MAN, AND IT BETTER BE A GOOD EXCUSE!"

"I, uh, well, you know, before your mother and I met—"

"DON'T YOU DARE GO BLAMING MOM FOR SOMETHING STUPID THAT YOU'RE DOING RIGHT NOW."

"I'm not blaming her, I'm just saying that I had a little gambling problem before your mother and I met, and well, I was pretty much in debt. Of course, after I got married, I cleared them off and didn't gamble for a very long time." Eiji's voice was soft and quick, as if he didn't want to be overheard. "But in the last year, I've just been really sad and depressed, so I…er…fell back into my gambling ways…"

"So you're in debt," said Rei.

"…Yes?"

"So you ran from your debt collectors."

"…Yes?"

"And you expected me to pay them."

"No, goodness, no! I just had to leave so I could earn some more and not get you in trouble—"

"So where are you now?"

"I can't say, dear."

Rei listened intently to the voices in the background of the phone. It certainly wasn't Tokyo dialect. Was that a Kansai accent?

"…Rei?"

"When are you coming back?"

"Ah, well I wanted to let you know that I'm probably not going to come back for a little while…"

"You couldn't drop me this message six months ago?"

"No, sorry."

"So you're not coming back."

"No."

"So you're abandoning me."

"Don't say it like that, dear…"

Rei slammed the phone back down on its cradle, not bothering to even say goodbye, the fury inside her causing the blood to rush to her head. The stupid man, leaving her alone and not even bothering to say a freaking "Merry Christmas" or "I hope you're safe," just leaving a note that he wasn't going to be coming back for a long, long time, leaving her alone with a jerk of an employer who thought she was part of a wall…

What a crappy Christmas.

* * *

Rei looked very close to crying, now that she'd nearly broken the phone and was staring outside the kitchen window, gripping the edges of the sink so tightly that the skin stretched over her skin was pure white. Kanda was feeling very awkward. Should he leave? Surely she didn't want him to see her momentary weakness…but Kanda couldn't bring himself to move. He was feeling a bit…guilty for his earlier actions. Just slightly guilty. But guilty nevertheless.

He cleared his throat.

"Hey," he said.

"What?" she said, not looking at him.

"Are…are you okay?"

"No. Go away."

Kanda unconsciously did the opposite and stepped closer to her.

"Was that your dad?" he said, though he already knew the answer.

"Yeah," she said curtly.

"…So I'm guessing he's not coming back."

"That idiot, that good-for-nothing old man," she said shakily, looking down at her hands. "Calling on Christmas to tell me that he's not coming back, basically telling me that I've been abandoned by him…"

Kanda did not know what to say. He abruptly became aware that he, at five foot nine, was much taller than Rei. All of a sudden, she no longer seemed like the invulnerable bodyguard that he had always seen her to be.

Kanda put a hand on her shoulder, patting it awkwardly, not knowing what to say. Rei, however, turned to him and buried her face in his chest, hugging him.

He nearly took a step back, but somehow managed to resist. There rose in him an insane urge to hold her back.

"Are…are you crying?" he asked.

"I am _not_," she said defiantly, her voice muffled. "I'm just pissed off. Stop talking."

His arms moved by themselves, wrapping around Rei's slim figure and holding her closely to his body. The action seemed to calm her down; her shaky breathing steadied and her grip on his shirt grew tighter. For once, Rei seemed like a _girl_, not a bodyguard, someone that was appropriately vulnerable. Kanda let out a sigh. Was it just him, or was his heart beating faster than normal?

He shoved the thought out of his mind. He was just being nice, for once. Just apologizing in his own discreet way for pissing her off earlier. There was absolutely nothing enjoyable about doing this…Kanda held her tighter…obviously not.

* * *

_Several hours later._

"Want to watch a movie?"

"Not really. I'm hungry."

"Here's some chips," said Rei, flipping through the channels and leaning against the base of the sofa. "I dumped your lunch away, so that's probably why you're hungry."

"Che, talk about _me_ being pissy…"

"Shut up. You deserved it."

Rei was feeling very good.

All the anger and insecurity she'd felt after speaking with her good for nothing father had simply disappeared the moment Kanda had hugged her back. Why she had hugged him in the first place was beyond her, but all she knew was that being so close to him had felt very comfortable. The rhythm of Kanda's heartbeat, his tall and firm profile, that slight scent of cologne, those entrancing blue eyes…Rei could no longer deny that perhaps she really had fallen for that idiot of a man…

They were both seated in the living room on the couch, Rei with a blanket over her shoulders. She'd turned the heat down low (to save money, since Kanda had made it clear that she wasn't going to be getting her paycheck any time soon), so the room was rather cold.

She noticed Kanda watching him out of the corner of his eyes.

"What?" she said.

"Nothing," he said quickly, turning his attention to the T.V. screen.

Rei frowned, curious, but simply drew the blanket around her tighter.

"You cold?" she asked, expecting him to deny it.

"A bit," he admitted.

"Oh. Here," she said, drawing out the blanket and offering it to him.

"…Can't you just go get another one?"

"No."

Kanda sighed and scooted closer, taking the blanket and drawing it over his front to his shoulders. Rei smiled, flipping off the lights and immersing the room in a sort of theatrical darkness.

A few moments passed in silence. Each of them shifted constantly, causing their fingers to brush by each other's occasionally, or their shoulders…Rei was feeling hyperaware of Kanda's presence, wondering if he was just as conscious of hers as well.

"What kind of movie is this?" he growled suddenly, cobalt eyes watching the screen.

"Eh…" She didn't really know what was going on.

"What?" he smirked. "Not paying attention?"

"No," she said.

"Why's that?"

"Shut up."

He leaned down, his face close to hers, blocking the T.V. from her view.

"What?" she said, thankful that the lights were off, for she could feel the flush creeping up her face.

"Excited?" he said softly. "You're with me, after all."

"If this is some stupid practice thing again, stop it."

"You want it to be more than practice?"

"You're starting to sound more and more like Mikk or Bookman…"

"Ha, it's probably their influence," said Kanda, leaning away much to her disappointment.

It took a few minutes to calm herself down, to steady those fluttering heartbeats and to actually start watching the movie. It was a romance, ironically. The characters had just started making out when Kanda's face appeared in front of her again.

"What?" she said, annoyed. "It was actually getting good."

"You're into that kind of stuff?"

"Getting squeamish, Kanda? You don't look like that kind of person."

"Shut up, I've probably done more than you have."

"Definitely," said Rei dryly. "I haven't even had my first kiss."

From what Rei could make out in the dark, Kanda looked surprised.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I know, I'm a moron. Now let me watch the movie."

"You shouldn't be watching things like this."

"It's not a big deal, now move."

She pushed him lightly to the side, but he pushed back with much more force, once again catching Rei off guard. She felt her back hit the seats of the couch and looked up, straight into those gleaming eyes. Bad idea. There was no way she could possibly resist if made an advance. But Kanda wouldn't, probably. He was just going to get off of her and say that she was an idiot, and they were going to continue watching the movie like absolutely nothing happened. Or so she thought.

* * *

Obviously, the logical idea was to get off of her and act like nothing happened. Or just play it off like a joke again.

But something in Kanda rooted him to the spot. He did not move off of her. Could not move off of her.

It was an incredibly awkward position. One of Kanda's legs was kneeled in between hers, the other at her side. His arms were pressed on other side of her neck, his face was dangerously close to hers. He could see those green orbs of hers as if they glowed in the dark; he could feel her warm breath very close to his own lips, and she simply lied there, still, her eyes looking up at him with innocence that he wished she didn't have.

He closed his eyes and leaned closer, his heart beating so quickly he thought it would jump out of his chest at any moment. His hands cradled her neck as his lips hovered half a centimeter above hers—

There was a sudden knocking on the door, a loud sound that jolted Kanda out of his stupor. He stood up quickly, breathing rapid, and stepped a few steps back.

Rei sat up slowly, her eyes lingering on his for a moment before she stood up and went to the door. The knocking grew louder, and a voice called out.

"Rei-chan!" a British accent said. "Are you there?"

"We're here to celebrate Christmas with you," said another voice that annoyed Kanda immediately. "Rei, open up!"

Rei turned on the lights and placed her hand on the door. Kanda was seized with the sudden urge to tell her not to open it…he did not want her to see Tyki…

She opened it, however, a faint smile on her lips .

"Bookman," she greeted. "Mikk." Her green eyes travelled to someone farther outside and the smile literally melted off her face. "Oh…"

"Ah, don't mind us for inviting ourselves in!" Lavi said, walking in and spotting Kanda. "Oh, hey, Yuu-chan! We have another guest for you!"

"Who?" said Kanda acidly. "Mikk?"

"Nah," said Tyki, walking past Rei and taking off his shoes. "Another guest."

"Who?"

Lenalee shyly walked into the room. Kanda noticed Rei's expression darken as she invited herself in; the bodyguard's displeasure disappeared the moment Rei shut the door, preventing the room from getting any colder.

"Have a good Christmas?" grinned Tyki, placing an arm around Rei. "We're here to lighten up the seemingly dark atmosphere between you and Kanda."

"I'll go get some tea," Rei said tersely, walking to the kitchen.

"I'll help," offered Tyki, following her out of sight.

Lenalee stood nervously in front of Kanda. Lavi sensed the tenseness and smiled.

"I gotta go use the restroom," he said cheerily. "So excuse me!"

Which left Kanda and Lenalee alone. There was a silence.

"You're…you're not angry, are you?" said Lenalee timidly.

"No," he lied. He was actually really angry…if they hadn't come in…but the sudden desire to kiss Rei, upon later reflection, was a bad sensation…because if he had, didn't that mean he was cheating on Lenalee? So perhaps it had been a good thing…

"Merry Christmas!" Lenalee smiled, running to him and hugging him tightly around the waist. "I wanted to celebrate at least a bit of it with you…"

"Yeah," Kanda said halfheartedly, his eyes glued to the kitchen. "I did too…"

* * *

"Oi, Rei, you're not mad, are you?" Tyki asked.

"No, I'm not," she replied, waiting for the tea to boil.

"…We interrupted a good moment between you and Kanda, didn't we?"

"No, you didn't," she said acerbically. "Stop asking."

Tyki stood closer to her, much closer than he needed to be. She could catch the light scents of cologne and…floral perfume.

"I'm not really sorry if I screwed something up between you and Kanda," said Tyki seductively. "That'd just mean a bonus point for me, right? Besides, I wanted to see you on Christmas Day, Rei."

"You mean after you met with another woman, right?" Rei said coldly.

Tyki looked taken back.

"What do you mean?"

"There are faint scents of perfume on your clothes," she said, leaning up and touching his curly hair. It was damp. "And it looks like you took a shower in the middle of the day, so you probably were screwing around earlier today. Don't go around trying to flirt with me when you're so half-assed about every relationship you have."

She retracted her hand but Tyki caught it, drawing her closer to him. His golden eyes gleamed under the kitchen light.

"I won't be half-assed about it if you want to be in one," he said breathily.

"I don't."

"Ach, sweet…has Kanda already seduced you?"

"What?" she said, startled.

"You've fallen for him, haven't you?"

"T-that's groundless, Mikk—"

"I'm so jealous…" he brought a hand up to Rei's cheek, caressing it softly. "Hm…we're alone, Rei. And I'm feeling jealous. What do you think I'll do now?"

"Stop—"

Tyki brought his lips down swiftly on hers, his arms cradling her waist. Her heartbeat escalated but she retained her state of mind; she pushed fervently against him, trying to force him back, but Tyki was strong, very strong. He caught her wrists and pulled them to her sides, encaging her and keeping her so close that she could feel every muscle on his chest through his shirt. The kiss continued for what seemed like an eternity, and finally, Rei managed to move her leg up, kneeing Tyki in the infamous vulnerable area. He broke it off immediately, doubled over.

"DAMN IT, WOMAN."

"You bastard," she said, panting, "that was my first kiss, you freak—"

Rei stopped dead as her sight fell on the doorway to the kitchen. Her heart seemed to plummet all the way to her stomach.

Kanda had been watching.

* * *

**Free Talk**:

Poor Rei. :( Isn't it sad how Kanda was SO DAMN CLOSE to getting her first kiss but Tyki snatched it away? Haha, I'm acting like I didn't write this...sorry if you hate me because of that. :P But typically, don't most people have their first kisses with people that they no longer date? So yeah. Oh well. Haha.

I'm thinking of starting another DGM fic (yes, that makes three, and yes, I love the manga.) And it'd be AU, of course...I'm thinking...vampires. :) I know it's a cliche topic, but I have a pretty good idea of how to _not_ make it cliche...but I'm debating it, because school is hellish and I'm already starting to update rather slowly. But tell me if you think it's a good idea! Oh, and of course, it'll be KandaxOC...I freaking love that guy. :P

PLEASE REVIEWWWW! REVIEWWW! :)

Love,

-m.n.-


	11. Paradoxical Emotions

**Chapter 11: Paradoxical Emotions**

There was a soundless pandemonium.

Or a chaotic silence.

Whichever paradox.

Physically and realistically, the room was deathly still quiet except for Tyki's groans. The pandemonium, however, came into play in examination of each individual's expressions.

Rei's expression was one crossed between fury, embarrassment, and a desperation to explain the situation.

Rei's fury, however, could not come anywhere close to comparing with Kanda's.

The Japanese model's face was shadowed with a darkness that could resemble the calm before a terrifying storm; a vein was throbbing in his temple and his azure eyes flashed with a vehemence that no one in the room had ever seen before, even given Kanda's infamously short temper. The shadow was also lined with confusion and apprehension; most of it consisted of anger.

Except what Kanda was angry about, or who he was angry with, even he couldn't be sure. He'd seen the entire scene, from the moment Tyki had taken Rei into his arms to the instant where Rei's knee had connected with Tyki's vulnerability. It seemed, in all logical sense, not to be furious with Rei, for she had resisted and had played no part in instigating the kiss. Kanda, however, found most of his anger directed towards her.

"Great," he said, finally breaking the silence, his tone interwoven with unspeakable hatred. "Sorry about that—it seems like I interrupted a damn good moment between you two."

A look of disbelief crawled onto Rei's features.

"Did…did you not see what happened?" she asked tentatively.

"Oh, no, I saw it all," Kanda said scathingly. "From the moment he whipped you into his arms to—"

"The part where I kneed him in the crotch," Rei finished heatedly, sensing Kanda's irritation with her and retaliating with her own annoyance. "Obviously, none of that was my fault—"

"I never said it was—"

"So why are you blaming me?!"

"I wasn't—!"

Why did it seem like he was losing the battle?! In fact, why was there a battle to begin with? Obviously, Kanda's anger should've been directed towards the culprit—Tyki—and not the victim, but at the point where Kanda was on his level of fury, he didn't give a damn on who was the victim and who was the assaulter. All he knew was the increasing aggravation with the knowledge that had Tyki and Lavi interrupted five, no, one minute later, it would've been Kanda who had taken Rei's first kiss.

"It's very apparent to me," said Tyki, managing to stand up straight finally and shooting a dirty look at Rei, who gave him an equally ugly one in response, "that Kanda is jealous that I stole your first kiss, Rei."

Rei looked quickly between the two of them.

"Is that true?" she demanded.

"Obviously not," snarled Kanda. "Seeing as Mikk has the brain the size of a peanut and the observation power of a goldfish, it should be clear to you, Matsumomo, that I don't give a damn about who you're kissing or whatnot."

"Then stop looking so pissed off!" Rei said furiously. "And stop making it seem like everything's my fault—you saw what happened! That was completely and utterly against my will—"

"A pity," sighed Tyki.

"—and I shouldn't be held accountable for this—"

"Ah," said Tyki to the side, "but your future romance life will—"

"SHUT UP!" shouted Rei. "You're not making this situation any better!"

"But why do you need to make it any better?" asked Tyki coolly.

Rei blinked.

"What?"

"Why do you feel the need to explain yourself to him?" he rephrased. "He's not your boyfriend. He's your boss. So if you're angry about unprofessionalism, Kanda, let me remind you that you've been living with Rei for the past week, intruding into her personal life and blurring the line between private life and job life. Whoever Rei decides to kiss, or whoever decides to kiss Rei, either way, has nothing to do with you unless you're the one involved. So I don't see why you have to be so pissed off about it."

"I'm not," said Kanda tartly.

"And that's a very blatant lie," said Tyki, his golden eyes glinting.

There was a tense pause as Rei's head swiveled between the two males, looking at each of the models in confusion.

"Look," she said, exhausted. "Can we just forget this? I mean…"

"Yeah," agreed Tyki. "After all, it was just a kiss."

"No, that's not it," snapped Rei. "It's Christmas. It's just a misunderstanding…let's just forget about it."

"Fine," Kanda said coldly.

He definitely wasn't going to forget about it. The moment he and Mikk were along, Kanda's fist was going to go bashing into his face…

Tyki spoke up as they were preparing to leave the kitchen.

"But I can't say that I'm just going to leave it at that," he said smoothly. "After all, Rei, your lips are really quite soft and I'm sure that even you found it rather enjoyable—"

Kanda whirled around to make a movement to punch Tyki, but Rei got to it first. Her fist darted straight up at his face at a speed that caused her arm to blur. Tyki, surprisingly enough, caught it. Rei did not stop at that, seemingly determined to inflict some sort of damage to Tyki's profile, and whipped her leg immediately out to kick him. Tyki blocked it almost lazily with his knee, crossing over her legs and tripping her, causing her to fall. He caught her, grinning.

"Surprised?" he said. "I thought I told you before—I'm very capable of taking care of myself. My reflexes and physical ability are on a level much higher than a qualified bodyguard, and that includes you. Don't take it personally, Rei, but I'm not going to let you kick me twice."

He was still holding her up, much to Kanda's annoyance. The Japanese model strode over and yanked Rei out of Tyki's grasp.

"That's enough," he said frostily.

"Again with your dominating personality," smirked Tyki. "Pathetic."

"Stop it," snarled Rei. "Let's go join the others."

Kanda shot a glare at Tyki, who simply smirked in return. But a part of Kanda could not deny that he was indeed dominating when it came to Rei; for some reason, he did not enjoy the idea of seeing Rei in the arms of someone else. The image of Tyki kissing Rei so fervently flashed through Kanda's head and he seethed in anger. He would not let Tyki touch her again. He refused to let Rei's thoughts revolve around that Portugal idol of hers, especially after that kiss…he'd have to take matters into his own hands.

* * *

"Oi, I heard Rei-chan shouting," Lavi said as the three of them emerged from the kitchen. "What happened?"

"Nothing," answered Rei stiffly before any of the others could reply. "I'm a bit tired. I think I'm going to go to sleep. You guys can do something."

"What?" said Lavi. "That's boring!"

Rei did not want to stay in a room with Tyki Mikk or Kanda Yuu any longer. Or with Lenalee Lee, for that matter. Rei's eyes clouded with unwilling dislike as she looked at the pretty Chinese model, who was looking anxiously between the three of them, her brown eyes trying to elicit an explanation out of them.

"Seriously, Rei, it'd be nice if you'd play the role of a good hostess and stay up with us," said Tyki encouragingly, touching her shoulder gently and causing Rei to jerk back instinctively. He noticed her sensitivity and retracted his hand, his expression darkening. Was that hurt in his eyes real or feigned? Rei could not tell. Oh, damn it all, he could be hurt for all she cared, it was his fault that Kanda was glaring daggers at her…

The doorbell rang suddenly and all five of them turned to it.

"I'll get it," offered Tyki, striding over to the door and opening it. Along with the cold blast of wind that entered the living room, Rei heard him murmur some words and take something into his hands, then shut it.

"Ooh!" laughed Lavi. "Is that a present for Rei?"

"It is, actually," said Tyki, turning around with his newly received package.

Packages, it turned out to be. In one hand, he had a bouquet of white roses, decorated with red lace and opaque pearls. In the other, he had a rather slim and rectangular box, wrapped in gift paper and sealed with a bow on top.

"Things turned out a bit differently than I'd imagined," said Tyki. "I really didn't mean to kiss you—"

"YOU WHAT?!" said Lavi excitedly.

"—and I expected this to be much more romantic," finished Tyki, ignoring his colleague's outburst. "But…what's done is done. I apologize about before, Rei…and Merry Christmas."

Rei's heart sank as Tyki offered the presents to her…she was still furious with Tyki's previous advancement, but he sounded truly sincere about his apology…and the bouquet was really gorgeous.

"What's in the package?" she asked hesitatingly.

"Well, that's for you to find out, isn't it?" said Tyki. "Here, take them."

"It can't be something ridiculously expensive, Mikk, I can't accept that—"

"If you don't take them, they're going straight in the garbage, Rei, and for God's sake, call me Tyki already."

He dropped the presents in her hands, smiling at her stunned expression. Upon closer inspection, the pearls seemed to be real, and the box in her right hand was really quite heavy. The entire thing screamed of high prices, and Rei attempted to push them back into Tyki's hands.

"I can't—"

"Sorry," said Tyki, backing away. "I'm not taking them. Merry Christmas, Rei."

She saw him consult the clock, his golden eyes glimmering in a sort of sad way.

"I might have outstayed my welcome," he said with that same sort of sadness. "I just came to say Merry Christmas, Rei…I'll be going now."

"What?" said Rei, puzzled. Damn it, it wasn't like she could stay angry with him, especially having been showered with gifts and being exposed to Tyki's shocking sincerity. And she seemed to be particularly affected by that strange despondency in his liquid gold eyes, that tinge of sadness in his smile…

"Well, if you're going to be going to sleep," explained Tyki, "there's no point in me staying around with Bookman, Kanda, and his girlfriend. I really did come just to see you."

Rei opened her mouth, then closed it. Part of her just wanted to hit him across the head for saying such strangely sentimental things that should've been rehearsed but sounded truly genuine. The other just wanted to…well, she didn't know. It involved some degree of hitting him though. And smiling.

"Fine," she grumbled. "I'll stay up."

Tyki grinned.

"So you're asking me to stay."

"No, I never said that—"

"No, by all means," said Kanda's icy voice, "leave."

"You know, actually, I think I'll stay," replied Tyki with equal coldness. "After all, why should I think I've outstayed my visit when _you_ haven't?"

"Because I don't go assaulting her at every minute—"

"You shouldn't have a reason to, seeing as you have Miss Lenalee over there—"

"Shut up, Mikk—"

"Both of you, drop it," said Rei dryly, shifting the presents in her arms. "Bookman, what do you want to do?"

"Watch them fight it out," grinned the British model lazily.

"Any other alternatives?" Rei said acidly.

"Karaoke?" suggested Lenalee tentatively. "I…er…noticed you have a machine."

Rei groaned inwardly. She indeed did have a karaoke machine, that abhorrent thing that her father—damn him—had bought so long ago in an attempt to have Rei retrieve some of those nonexistent feminine characteristics she had…

"Sure," shrugged Rei, heading over to the kitchen. "I'm just going to put the flowers in a vase before they wilt—Lee-san, you can set up the machine."

"Sure!" said Lenalee cheerfully, rushing forward to extract the karaoke machine from the pile of junk in the corner. Obviously, she was into that kind of thing. "Lavi-san, help me!"

Rei walked into the pantry, setting the rectangular box onto a table as she shuffled through the shelves for an empty vase. She took a dusty one out of the corner and rinsed it thoroughly, adding a bit of clean water into it and setting the bouquet in it. She could not help but smile faintly at the sight of the white roses and the red lace immersed against its white petals. How had Tyki known that white roses were her favorite? Lucky guess of an experienced playboy, probably…

"What are you grinning like a moron about?" said a voice from the doorway.

Rei looked up to see Kanda looking at her with a condescending expression.

"Nothing," she said curtly, picking the vase out of the sink and placing it on her dining room table. "What do you want?"

"…Did you enjoy it when Mikk kissed you?"

She stared at him.

"What kind of _question_ is that?!"

"Yes or no?"

"Definitely not!" she said, incredulity spreading across her face. "Goodness, Kanda, whatever gave you that idea?"

"He just happens to be a model you're infatuated with," Kanda replied. "Just checking."

"Even if I had, what's that to you?"

"…Nothing."

"Then don't ask," she said sourly, walking past him to the refrigerator. "Even if he kissed me against my will…and I didn't enjoy it…well, at least he was gentlemanly enough to apologize. And I like the gifts. He was actually considerate enough to think of me at Christmas, even though I didn't get a present for him…"

"You didn't get a present for him?" Kanda said, surprised.

"No…I didn't think I'd see him…" said Rei a bit guiltily. "I feel bad."

"Don't."

She shot him an ugly look.

"Mikk's more of a man than you are," she said icily. "Seeing as you're the only one I got a present and you didn't give a damn—"

"I meant to say thanks for that."

"Only when I brought it up," she said. "And you don't mean it."

Rei opened the refrigerator door and took out a box of chocolate that she'd prepared. It would be a good idea to cut it up and distribute it to her guests as a sort of last-minute Christmas present; better that than nothing. She turned around, only to see Kanda right in front of her.

"I did mean it," he said simply. "It's been…a while since I've gotten a gift that wasn't from some brand name store. So…thanks."

Rei tried to step back, only to find her way blocked by the fridge. Kanda was close. Too close. His blue eyes were the most captivating sight she'd ever seen in her life.

"Y-you're welcome," she said, tearing her eyes away from his and turning away as she blushed. "I, um…"

She felt Kanda press his arms on either side of her, encaging her against the refrigerator.

"Turn around," he said, his tone as smooth and cool as ice. It sent shivers down Rei's spine.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"Turn around, Matsumomo."

Her words came out as a very quiet breath. "For what?"

"I have to give something back. For your gift."

"You don't need to—"

Kanda pulled her around by her shoulder. She saw a brief sight of his beautiful blue eyes before she felt something amazing; his lips glided onto hers as his arms wrapped around her waist. Her head spun, trying to comprehend what was happening, but it was to much for her feeble mind to understand, to be kissed by two incredible models in one night, and for one of them to be someone that she had truly realized she'd fallen in love with. The sound of Lavi's unintelligible singing was in the background of her mind, barely audible. Nothing could compare to this heavenly feeling. Absolutely nothing.

Christmas night. It was quite the night.

* * *

"Hey, she's taking an awfully long time," Lavi commented as he selected a song. "Wanna go check up on her, Mikk? Make sure she didn't fall in the pantry and fall unconscious or something…"

"Don't say such ominous things," said Tyki chidingly.

"Kanda-san's disappeared too…" Lenalee said, worry lining her attractive face.

"I'll go check up on Rei," Tyki said, standing up and making his way to the kitchen. "Rei—"

He stopped short at the sight he saw through the small crack of the slightly open door. Rei, pushed up against the white refrigerator doors, being kissed by Kanda in a manner that Tyki wouldn't have expected of the aloof Japanese model. And Rei…she was kissing him back, hesitatingly, it was true, but the response was evident nevertheless.

Tyki leaned against the wall, turning away from the sight. To think that _Kanda_ would possibly be kissing someone when he was under the same roof as his girlfriend…it was strange, seeing that sort of promiscuity in someone else when Tyki himself exhibited it constantly.

There was a strange sensation in his chest. Tyki brought a hand up to his chest, feeling the erratic rhythm of his heartbeat under his skin. It hurt slightly.

Tyki paused in his thoughts. Why did his heart hurt? He couldn't have possibly be in love with Rei. That was impossible. He'd only known her for a little while, and…well, he was _supposed_ to be just playing around. Nothing more. Besides, he was just going to get close to her because Cyril wanted him to. That was it.

Right?

…There was definitely no chance that Tyki was in love with Rei. Definitely none. But his fist contracted in a tight grip as his liquid gold eyes shimmered; he'd have to give a good talking to Kanda, before Rei really fell any deeper in love with him.

* * *

_One week later_.

"Great," said Cross, breaking into the first smile that any of them had seen him give since the week had started. "Even though we had problems, it looks like we managed to finish all right…"

"Thank God," groaned Tyki, immediately pulling his tie off. "Kill me now, Marian, I thought I'd never have to deal with your insane pickiness again…"

Cross shrugged. "Hey, it was you who accepted the job."

"Because I thought you'd changed," grumbled the Portuguese model. "But whatever, these pictures better be good."

"They will be," said Cross confidently. "As I said before, you three are the best of your generation. These will be good."

"Agh," said Lavi, stretching out his limbs. "Man. That last pose was a killer."

"Quite an awkward position," agreed Tyki. "Though, Bookman, I bet it felt good to be feeling all up on Kanda, eh?"

"Give it a break," snapped Kanda, flicking his long black hair of his shoulder. "It was for a shoot."

"Ha, nah, believe me, all the paparazzi will be going crazy once they reveal that one. Headline: 'Kanda Yuu is potentially gay?' Ha, that'd be classic." Tyki caught sight of Rei walking into the studio. "Hey, Rei!"

She strode over to them, holding up three cups of coffee and distributing them.

"Morning, Tyki," she smiled. "Hey, Bookman, Kanda."

Upon closer inspection, Rei seemed to have gotten somewhat…prettier over the last two weeks. Her curly hair was currently tied in a loose bun to one side, her green eyes outlined with dark eyeliner and her lips painted with a nude-colored gloss. Her complexion seemed to have taken a considerable upturn, and though she had not lost those moments of disheveled appearance, Tyki had to admit that Rei had certainly become more attractive.

Kanda apparently did not agree.

"Satomi get a hold on you again?" he asked without thanking her for the coffee. "Thank God, with what you walked in with this morning, I thought I'd have to murder you for your fashion sense. You'd _expect_ that after working for me for this long, it'd improve at least in the slightest."

"Shut up," she scowled. "It seems like your mood's been spoiled because you're feeling down since Tyki and Bookman are so much better than you are?"

"In your dreams," he answered.

"Anyone can tell that Tyki's better than you," said Rei with a challenging smirk.

"You evidently can't," Kanda retorted. "Besides, this is the first time that we've taken a photo shoot together since the week leading up to Christmas—"

Cross walked over to them before Rei had a chance to reply.

"Okay, Bookman, you're dismissed," the redheaded photographer said.

"Really?" said Lavi, startled.

"Yeah, you finished your shoots that doubled with Mikk and Kanda already; all that's left is Kanda and Mikk alone, so you're not needed."

"Gee," Lavi said dryly, "thanks. But that fits—I've got an appointment later on in the afternoon anyway."

"Tell me how it goes," said Tyki with a meaningful look.

"Sure," said Lavi with feigned indifference as he grabbed his jacket off a clothes hanger. "See you later, mates. Yuu-chan, don't kill Mikk."

"Of course not," scowled Kanda. "And Bookman, stop calling me by my first name."

"Whatever. Later, Rei."

"Bye."

"We're going to be starting in half an hour or so," said Cross, "so Kanda, Mikk, off you go to the salon."

"Again…" complained Tyki. "Sometimes, I hate this job."

"You shouldn't," said Rei. "At least you're good at it."

"So? You're good at your job, don't you hate it?"

"It's…eh…it's all right," she said brightly.

It seemed that the relationship between Kanda and Rei had smoothed over since Christmas. Though they still sniped at each other constantly, Tyki had noticed a warmth between the two of them that aggravated him beyond belief. He constantly clung to the fact that Kanda was definitely going out with Lenalee—why did he feel the need to dominate Rei as well? Rei was nowhere as attractive, nor was she as good for Kanda's image. So what pulled the Japanese model to keep her by his side?!

The two models went into the salon where the hairstylists and makeup artists set to work on them. Tyki and Kanda had always relied on Lavi to be a buffer between the two of them; in Lavi's absence, however, the tension simply reached new heights, even when both of them were silent. The workers must've noticed, for they finished rather hastily and left, leaving the two of them alone, both of them looking too good for their liking.

Tyki observed his reflection in the mirror. Slicked back ebony hair, the curly ends of it tied into a ponytail. Tan skin, golden eyes, a full mouth with perfect teeth…Tyki himself could not deny that he was good-looking. And what a curse to his life it was…he looked over at Kanda, who was equally if not more so attractive. It seemed that Rei did not go for looks alone, for he and Kanda were neck to neck in that category. So what was it that attracted her to him? His personality. Tyki snorted; if it was his personality, then that girl just enjoyed being around an asshole.

Kanda heard him snort; his eyes narrowed in dislike.

"If you have something to say, Mikk, say it," he said disparagingly.

"I don't," he said. After a moment, he changed his mind. "Actually, I do."

"Spit it out."

"Why did you kiss Rei on Christmas night?"

He felt Kanda stiffen in the seat next to him.

"So you saw," Kanda said, a smirk crawling up to his lips.

"Yeah, I did," said Tyki acerbically. "And I'm asking why the hell you did. Your own girlfriend was in the same apartment, and you felt fine enough to go around kissing another girl?!"

"I'm not like you, Mikk, I don't go groping every woman I see. So I don't understand why you're getting so worked up about this."

"Worked up?" said Tyki with a dangerous smile. "Kanda, playboy though I am, it's not like I'm forbidden from _caring_ about a woman. I _like_ Rei. But I don't _like_ you. One plus one is two, Kanda. Not hard to piece together."

Kanda scoffed. "Of course not. Same goes for me. So I won't let Matsumomo fall to your hands."

"Explain."

There was a pause.

"Matsumomo is an idiot. She's naïve, she's a fool, she trusts too easily."

"Your explanation is nothing but a bunch of insults."

"But she's a reliable bodyguard," said Kanda finally, ignoring Tyki's interruption. "One of the best that I've ever had. So I need her to stay by me."

"And so? You like her?"

"…I…" Anger flashed across Kanda's face. "What is that to you?!"

"A lot, actually," he answered calmly. "If I may remind you, you're currently in a public relationship with Lenalee Lee. There is no need for you to go messing around with Rei and toying with her feelings."

"Me?" sputtered Kanda. "_I'm_ toying with her feelings?! What does that make you?!"

"I'm not fooling around with Rei," said Tyki almost automatically. "I told her before—if she wants to be in a relationship with me, I won't be half-assed about it."

Of course, that was because he had ulterior motives, but Kanda didn't know that.

"So what's your justification for kissing her, Kanda?" persisted Tyki. "Are you becoming like me and Bookman, the playboys we are? Or are you simply a low-life two-timer? Or do you actually have another reason?"

Kanda's blue eyes clouded with an emotion that Tyki couldn't read. There was a heavy silence before Kanda finally spoke again.

"Frankly," he began slowly, choosing his words carefully, "her initial idolization of you irked me. When you began to make your moves on her, I grew worried that she would quit and go to you instead. After you…kissed her," Kanda shuddered, "…well, as I said before, Matsumomo's idiotically simplistic. She would've freaked out, thinking that the kiss actually _meant_ something."

"What makes you think that it didn't?" Tyki said frigidly.

Kanda arched an eyebrow. "So it did? Pathetic, Mikk. You've known her for less than a month."

"I never said—"

"Anyway," Kanda said, not bothering to hear the rest of Tyki's explanation, "so I thought that she would lose concentration on her work and go to you instead…so I needed her to think about _me_—"

"You're _using_ her?!"

"Not…really."

"That is _blatant_ usage, Kanda!"

"I'm not—"

"And you said _I_ was toying with her," Tyki said incredulously. "You're just wrapping her feelings for you around your little finger, you bastard—"

"What feelings?" interrupted Kanda.

Tyki stared. "Surely you've _realized_ that Rei is in love with you?"

"…I thought so."

"You're using her _love_ for you to manipulate her."

"…You don't need to put it so crassly."

"…So you don't love her."

"…No."

"And you're in some sort of…fucked up half-assed relationship with her while at the same time, you're in a serious one with Lenalee."

"No, it's not like that—"

"Rei will _never_ settle for second place," said Tyki harshly. "She will undoubtedly leave you if you don't call it quits to one or another—"

"I can't call quits if we haven't started in the first place—"

"Go to hell, Kanda," said Tyki snappishly, letting his emotions get the better of him. "I thought you were jackass the first time I met you, but after knowing this side of you, I can't think of a worse word to describe you, you bastard."

"Stop twisting my words," said Kanda heatedly, standing up and leaving to a side door. "I can't stand being in the same room with you—I'm going to get some air."

"I hope you fall off the patio," said Tyki sardonically, "and fall to your doom while you're at it. Bastard."

Kanda slammed the side door behind him, leaving Tyki alone in the room. The blood was rushing to his head—he was furious at hearing Kanda's ulterior motive for keeping Rei at his side by manipulating her emotions. His conscience nagged him, insisting that Tyki was doing the same thing and was thus a hypocrite for being pissed at Kanda about it, but Tyki ignored it…

He stood up and walked to the exit back to the studio. Might as well prepare early, seeing as how his emotions were all out-of-sorts and could delay the progress of the shoot…

He opened the door outward and felt it connect with a thud to someone.

"Oh, sorry," Tyki apologized, peering out.

His golden eyes widened as they met a pair of green ones. Rei had been listening.

* * *

**Free Talk**:

You guys are just so amazing! You broke your record of number of reviews for a single chapter!!! Thank you so much for supporting me!

Man, I feel like I made so many characters OOC in this chapter...:( Please tell me if you think I did...and if a lot of people do, I might have to rewrite it. Eh...but I don't really want to. We'll see.

So a whole bunch of people said that they hated Tyki in the last chapter. That wasn't really my intention, but if you felt that way, I'm glad that the chapter stirred up your vehemence to that degree. However, this _is_ KandaxOCxTyki, and I'm back to saying that I am unsure on who Rei will end up with. There will be a series of what I call scandalous plot twists, so please don't say that you'll hate me forever if I decide on one or another. :( I just really like both characters and am torn between the two...so please keep reading regardless of Rei's eventual pairing!

Let me explain why I made Kanda say what he did.

Kanda is, as all Kanda fans know, not a guy rich in romantic temperament. Thus, he's too embarrassed to actually say that he was feeling jealous and thus kissed Rei--he made a reason up to explain why he did. Of course, Kanda's own justification of kissing Rei is what he said because he doesn't believe that he's in love with her. In addition, (I'll bring this up in the next chapter), Kanda has reasons that prevent him from breaking up with Lenalee, so it's not like he can just dump Lenalee and get together with Rei. Kanda also thinks Rei is "unworthy" of him, and thus doesn't acknowledge the fact that he has growing feelings for her.

...Does that make sense?? Was I too confusing? Sorry...

Please please please review! You can suggest who you think Rei should get together with and why--I'm more than happy to hear your opinion!

Thanks so much, and please review!

Love, -m.n.-


	12. Worth Anything

**Chapter 12: Worth Anything  
**

"Oh bloody hell…" muttered Tyki upon seeing Rei standing outside the door. He then raised his voice a bit as he addressed her. "You…were you listening?"

"Listening?" she said with a smile. "No, was there something I should have heard?"

Tyki paused. The door was rather thick…there was a chance that Rei had not heard. Should he tell her? …It was really none of his business. He was pretty confident that Rei and Kanda would end up falling apart sooner or later anyway.

"Nah," he said with indifference. "Nothing. Need something, dear?"

"Yeah, Cross-san told me to get you two and start the shoot. Kanda there with you?"

"No, he went up on the patio."

"Oh. Well, could you call him then? I want to take a breather."

Tyki blinked, confused. "Sure."

Rei gave a small wave.

"I'll see you later."

* * *

Kanda's phone vibrated suddenly; he withdrew it from his pocket and answered it without looking at who was calling. Only one person other than Reever knew his schedule to the minute, and his manager wouldn't have dared bothering him while he was working.

"Hello?" he said into the receiver.

"Yay, you picked up!" said Lenalee's cheerful voice. "How is work coming along?"

"Well enough," he sighed, leaning against the wall as his piercing blue eyes looked at the scenery of the city. "Yours?"

"It's all right. I'm not as busy as you," she laughed. "I really want to work for Cross…"

"Maybe you could ask him. He likes pretty girls…"

"Aw, thanks, Kanda-san."

He'd unknowingly commented her. He decided to refrain from actually saying that he hadn't intended it.

"So…do you want to go to the New Year's Party together?"

"…When's that?"

"…Tomorrow," she said after a moment's pause. She had probably been checking her schedule. "At…oh, it's at the Chanel branch this time. How exciting."

"Oh…yeah…"

"So are we going together?" she said hopefully.

Kanda paused. Rei would definitely be upset because Kanda was pretty sure that Lenalee would expect them to be lovey-dovey all evening. Well, lovey-dovey to Kanda's extent, at any rate.

He really did feel like a two-timer, worrying about one girl when he was hanging out with the other. Of course, there was also the issue that Rei would be coming along as his bodyguard…

"Eh…"

"…Kanda, I really want you to come with me."

"But—"

"You don't have work that day—I already checked."

"But…"

"Are you being hesitant because you're worried about Matsumomo-san?"

Kanda winced. Damn woman's intuition…

"No," he lied through gritted teeth.

"Well, because if you are, then just don't tell her to come. If you're worried about being attacked, I can get my bodyguards to protect us equally well."

"Why do you think I'm worried about that idiot?"

"Just because," Lenalee said sourly.

"You…you know that…"

"You can't break up with me, right?" said Lenalee's voice frostily. "Yeah, I do. And I already made it clear that if you don't want to be in this relationship, I'm not going to force you into it—"

"That's not what I meant," Kanda said quickly.

"Then stop it!"

"Fine," he said snappishly. "We'll go together. And Matsumomo will stay home."

"Good," Lenalee said coolly. "Well, I have to continue with my work now, so I'll see you later."

She hung up without another word.

Kanda let out a breath. Women…well, to avoid Rei's anger, he'd just have to make sure that she never knew that there was a party. And that was really easy—all he'd have to do was say that there was no work that day. Hopefully things would work out for the best.

* * *

Tyki was listening as Kanda spoke on the phone. The news that the Japanese model wasn't going to take Rei to the New Year's Party was surprising and equally inviting; it would give Tyki room to manipulate the situation. After all, Tyki had been invited as well.

This could work very well to his advantage.

* * *

Rei breathed out quietly as she stood on the deck, her breath coming out in a small puff of misty air. She needed to calm down. Reinforce her standards.

Oh hell, it was more like reinforce her brain. What had she expected?! Kanda had obviously been using her. He had toyed with her feelings, knowing that he could manipulate her to that extent. Of course he could—she was freaking in love with him! But why she was, why the hell she was in love with such a cocky, such an inconsiderate person was beyond her. Even now, all she could feel was a sense of abandonment, of betrayal—anger, an emotion she had greatly relied on to surface, was hardly present. She felt…sad, for lack of a better word. Her love had been too apparent, unbridled and too obvious—even Tyki had noticed it. And Kanda, of course, had also seen it and used it to his advantage.

Rei sighed again, clearing her mind as the frosty winds came blowing a bit harsher. She leaned against the railing, her green eyes scanning the street down far below. What did she want? Did she want Kanda's love in return? His affection? His seemingly nonexistent tenderness, his impossible…smile? The words were so cheesy even in her head…

And of course Lenalee Lee took priority. She was the girlfriend, the number one. But Tyki was right—Rei would never settle for number two, she had more pride than that.

Besides…Rei was technically at fault, arbitrarily decided as it was. Rule number one of a successful bodyguard: never fall in love with your employer. Emotions spur unnecessary actions that could jeopardize the employer, and any harm done to the employer meant that the bodyguard had failed.

She made up her mind to confront Kanda about it. Figure out why was who, and where she stood on his totem pole. Figure out where she stood so she could draw the line between bodyguard and…something else more than that.

* * *

"All right," said Cross wearily. "You two just can not work together, can you?"

"Nope," replied Tyki easily. "We hate each other. Collaboration is as far away as the Apocalypse."

"Forget it," he groaned, "we'll just pick this up some other time, and maybe Bookman can stay to monitor your behaviors like a babysitter…seriously, Mikk, you're the older one. You should have enough common sense to not let personal problems get in the way of work."

"I'll try to be better about it next time," Tyki said coldly, "but for today, I think I'll just be immature."

Kanda sighed exasperatedly and simply ran a hand through his bangs, brushing them out of the way.

"Matsumomo!" he called. "Could you get the car?"

"Get someone else to do it," she said. "I want to talk to Tyki for a moment."

Tyki raised his eyebrows in surprise while Kanda scowled.

"What for?" Kanda demanded.

"None of your business," she answered indifferently. Was it just Tyki, or did she seem to be a bit cold with him? Not that Tyki minded—any rift between Rei and Kanda was simply a benefit for him.

"Alone?" said Tyki for clarification.

"It's not a big deal," she said. "Let's just wait until everybody's gone." She looked pointedly at Cross, who gave a grin and left the room. Kanda glared at her before following suit.

"Just a little thank you gift for the Christmas presents," Rei said, reaching into her bag and withdrawing a slim packaged box. "Don't get too hopeful—it's nothing spectacular. Just a frame."

"Thanks," Tyki smiled, accepting it. "I hope you found my gift to your liking?"

"Too expensive," she said with a frown.

"Please. Humor me and don't say you returned it."

"Of course not—I'm not that petty. Thanks very much."

"I thought it'd bring out your eye color," he said, bringing a tan hand up to her cheek and brushing it lightly. "You know…you really have magnificent eyes. Emeralds…the necklace pales in comparison to your eyes."

"Tyki…" she said with a tint of disparagement, moving his hand away.

"Yes, yes," he said with a roll of his eyes. "Stop being such a flirt…but I'm just going to ignore that warning and ask you…are you free this Friday?"

"…I probably have work—I haven't checked."

"You probably won't," he said. "Kanda doesn't have a shoot that day."

"God forbid, he might ask me to help him move into his apartment," she said in disdain. "But I'll see…why? You're not possibly asking me on a date."

The last sentence was stated as…a definite statement. There was no inflection of tone, no hopefulness, no question. Tyki grinned.

"And if I said that I was?"

"Give me a break, Tyki."

"You have to admit that our relationship has gotten better," he said. "You're actually calling me by my name now."

"That's because you wouldn't stop bothering me otherwise."

"It's not really a date, Rei. I need an…escort on Friday night to a social gathering."

"Like a bodyguard?" she said with an arched eyebrow. "I thought you said you could take care of yourself perfectly fine."

"You seriously think I would ask for your protection?" Tyki scowled. "No, I need you to come as a partner."

Rei blinked, surprise showing in her green eyes.

"That's strange," she said slowly. "I'm of no importance…and you have many female acquaintances that you could take…and questions will certainly arise. I decline, Tyki."

"Please?" he said with his most seductive smile.

Rei frowned, unperturbed.

"No."

"I swear I won't bother you about going to another party with me ever again."

"No, for the last time."

"Dress, car, hairstyle, I've gotten everything picked out for you," he lied smoothly. "Don't make all my hard work go to waste. And think of it…as…compensation."

"For what?" she said acerbically.

"…Your first kiss?"

Rei made a sudden movement to kick him but Tyki, realizing his mistake, caught her leg before it had a chance to connect with his body. He was grinning apologetically.

"As compensation on my part for stealing it," he re-explained. "Come on, Rei, I don't want to be dateless…"

"You won't," she said icily. "Let go."

He obliged and dropped her leg.

"Please."

His golden eyes bore into hers, as if they were trying to convey an intensity of meaning and desire. He saw her shiver slightly, her emerald eyes dart to the door that Kanda had just left. She seemed to be doing some thinking.

"Kanda…won't mind," he said breathily, bringing a hand up to a stray curl and fingering it. "You know him. He won't give a damn."

"…Fine…" she said unwillingly after a momentary silence. "I'll have to make sure I don't have work…"

"I'll text you about it," said Tyki, taking her hand and kissing it briefly. He was pleased with the sudden flush that reached her cheeks. "Thanks, sweet."

"…Not a big deal," she said grudgingly. "And you better not make me look…"

"Like a prostitute?" he offered in crude terminology. "Of course not. You'll be dashing." He smiled. "I'll see you later."

Things were going to work beautifully.

* * *

"What did Mikk want?" Kanda asked the moment they got in the car. "Or, rather, what did you need with him?"

"Just giving him a thank you gift in return for Christmas," said Rei smoothly, turning on the engine.

"What did you get him?"

"A frame."

"Was it empty?"

"Yes," she said wearily. "It's just a picture frame—why do you care anyway?"

"I don't," said her employer automatically, leaning back in the passenger seat. "Just…wondering. And…why are you calling him by his first name now?"

"I dunno," she said tiredly. "He calls me by mine, so…"

"Bookman does to."

"It doesn't matter; first names and such don't matter in Europe. Everyone just calls everyone by their first name if they're around the same age."

"Mikk is way older than you."

"Could you stop it?"

"Fine."

Rei opened her mouth to speak, wanting to ask about the conversation she had overheard, but Kanda spoke up before she got a chance to.

"You don't need to work on Friday," he said.

"…Why not?"

"…A break for New Year's," he said, looking out the window even though the car had not started moving.

"Really," she said skeptically, not bothering to reverse as she addressed him. "The infamous Kanda Yuu, the one who made his bodyguard fly with him out of the country on Christmas is actually being considerate? Not believable."

"Shut up," he said loftily. "I can be human if I want."

"What's the real reason?" she persisted.

"That's it."

"You're lying," she said.

"I am not."

"Then stop looking away and say it to my face."

"What the hell?" he said angrily, turning to face her. "That's all there is to it! Or do you insist on following me around for the rest of my life?"

Fury flashed in Rei's jade eyes as she studied Kanda's face, catching no sign of guilt, no overbearing conscience.

"On Christmas—" she began very coldly.

The back door suddenly opened; Rei whirled around immediately, whipping her pistol out of her belt and pointing it at the intruder.

"Lenalee," Kanda said in surprise. "What in the world are you doing here? Put the gun down, Matsumomo."

Rei looked at the Chinese model with narrowed eyes and stowed the gun back to its original position. Just when she was about to ask…Rei simply shook her head and began to back out of the parking space as Lenalee explained her abrupt appearance.

"I just thought I would catch you before you left!" she said lightheartedly. "I'm glad I managed to!"

"Where do you want me to drop you off?" Rei questioned in an uninviting tone.

"Um…"

"My house," Kanda said.

"So that's basically my house."

Kanda had had movers bring all his belongings from his old apartment to the vacant apartment next to Rei's. He'd moved out only the day before; Rei had found the sudden quietness and lack of his presence in her own home to be unsettling. She had not mentioned it…for she still got to see him every morning. The day had started off rosily and merrily; what had caused the sudden downturn?

Rei stayed silent for the duration of the trip as Lenalee chatted animatedly with Kanda. Kanda seemed distracted most of the time—Rei thought she could feel his eyes on her face occasionally, though she was quite sure she had been imagining it.

She pulled into the garage easily and stepped out, not bothering to go through the whole official chauffeur motions and open the door for Kanda like a sycophant. She was irritated and was not trying to conceal her annoyance.

"Matsumomo," she heard Kanda call as she inserted the key to her apartment.

"What?" she said brusquely, turning the knob and meeting his eyes for a brief instant.

His blue eyes reflected some sort of disturbance, but exactly why they did, she didn't know.

"What were you saying…about Christmas?"

Rei's gaze lingered on the confused Lenalee standing behind Kanda, and she knew very well that she couldn't ask Kanda what she was dying to know. Was she the second place? Was she the one he went to when number one was unavailable? Was she disposable, usable…forgettable?

"Never mind—forget about it," Rei said. "See you later."

She entered her home without another word and slumped down against the door. Something was gnawing at her heart…a feeling of corruption, of culpability. Had this been in the eighteenth century or something, she would've been the mistress while Lenalee would've been the wife. Second place was where Rei stood. She knew that well without asking Kanda.

But the desire in her heart was growing too strong for her to handle. Rei ground her teeth. She knew that she was unwilling to let him go…even if it made her a disgusting person, even when she was sure that she had no hold over him…

Because she was sure that Kanda had felt something on Christmas. She was positive that she affected Kanda in some form or fashion; she was of some importance.

She had no idea why she'd agreed to go with Tyki to the party…probably because Tyki had remarked that Kanda wouldn't care, and Rei wanted to test that. Wanted to see Kanda's reaction, to see if he would be jealous.

Wanted to know if she was actually worth something.

* * *

_Friday evening._

Rei slipped into Tyki's car at exactly six-thirty p.m. Prompt and punctual.

"Hello, dear," he greeted, speeding back onto the streets.

"Hey," she said jadedly.

"Something wrong?" he inquired, disturbed with her resigned tone.

"Nothing," she said nonchalantly. "So…where's this socialite gathering of the elite?"

"Ha, it's at Chanel. You okay with that?"

"Everything's the same to me," she answered, looking out the window. "Brand names are brand names."

"…Please cheer up, Rei," he said seriously. "You're making me feel guilty for dragging you into something…"

"Nothing's your fault," she said, turning to face him. "It's not like…I really didn't want to come with you or anything."

"That's good to hear. So please cheer up."

"…Sorry."

"Nothing to apologize about," he said merrily. "Ah, reach into the compartment in front of you—yes, that's it—yeah, take out that manila folder."

Rei opened the folder in her hands; her emerald eyes widened at first glance.

"…Holy…"

"Fantastic, aren't they? First one to get them," he chuckled. "Bookman always says I'm not serious about my work, but I actually really am, especially if I'm anticipating the results. Our group shots…were very good."

"Phenomenal," she said, bringing up a photo to the light. "Goodness, Tyki…"

"What," he said jokingly, "do I stun you with my beauty?"

"Very much so," she said seriously. "You're…gorgeous."

"…Thank you," he said, taken back by her sincerity. "But I suppose you'd say the same for the other two as well."

"I suppose so," she agreed, flipping through the pictures. "But…this one picture…" She held up a picture of the three of them. Tyki was in the middle, and being the tallest, was in a much more conspicuous position than the other two. It was one where he'd decided to open his shirt up a bit in, despite Cross's displeasure; he'd wrapped his tie around his hands and stretched it taut in front of him, his teeth biting the silk in a seductive manner. "…You look stunning."

"You can keep it," he offered. "Cross said that these are the first prints and that he'd like them back before they're leaked, but I don't think you'd do anything like that…so if you really like it, you can keep it."

"…Are you sure?" she breathed, a faint smile crawling up to her lips. "What a beautiful picture. Your expressions…they contrast so perfectly but blend in enough to make it seem natural. Your exerted auras don't clash at all."

"Or do you like it because I look a bit…wild in it?" he smirked. "You like that type of guy?"

"No," she said defiantly. "I like it because…I don't know. You look hot."

"Ha!" he laughed. "Thanks very much. I'm very honored to hear you say that." He debated for a moment to ask a rather risky question, and then decided to go for it. "You're not going to take the one where Kanda's in prominence?"

Rei fumbled through the glossy pictures and held up another one.

"You mean this?"

It was a good picture of Kanda—even Tyki had to admit that. Both Tyki and Lavi's presences had been diminished as they leaned against the wall in less prominence; Kanda was at the forefront of the image, his blue eyes electrifying his audience. His head was tilted to the side, giving him an almost lazy aura, as one of his hands was slipped in his pocket, the other at his neck. His mouth was slightly open, as if he were whispering something, his sapphire eyes barely open but conveying an intensity of indescribable measure. Tyki had been very surprised to see it.

"Yeah, looks like you can really just pick the best of the crop right out, can't you?"

"I've studied Marian's works well enough to know which ones are better than the others," she explained. "It is a very good picture…but…I'd feel weird keeping a picture of my employer in my room."

The words were out of his mouth before Tyki could restrain himself.

"Is he just an employer? Or are you in love with him?"

Rei looked up at him, startled with his candor.

"Tyki…that's absurd."

"Don't say that," he said a tad coolly as he pulled up in front of his apartment. "I know you feel something for him."

"I—"

"He's not good for you," he said determinedly. "He has a girlfriend already."

"…Are you trying to say that you are good for me, Tyki? Because I honestly don't think—"

"I know my faults," he said shortly. "I know that both Bookman and I are seen as playboys, flirts, and heartbreakers. I'm not saying that I'm good for you. In fact, I may be even worse than Kanda."

"…Then what's your point?"

He killed the engine and turned to face her, his golden eyes gleaming.

"I'd hate to see you get hurt by a bastard like him," he said quietly. "That's all."

"…I…"

"Just saying," said Tyki effortlessly in an attempt to lighten up the mood. "That's all. I just wanted to say that if you need someone…well, you have my number and address. I'll be available."

"Tyki—"

"Okay," he said cheerily, stepping out of the car. "Let's get you dressed."

He opened the door gallantly for Rei, who looked slightly upset but accepted his hand as he led her to the salon and preparation room on the first floor of his apartment building. They entered and were immediately greeted by a group of stylists and other workers.

"Mr. Mikk!" the European workers said. "Hurry up, we must get you finished by seven-thirty!"

"Good luck, Rei," he said, flashing a smile to her as she was dragged to another room. "Just relax. You'll be absolutely beautiful by the end of it. Not that you aren't already…"

She waved in silence, her eyes still misted as she looked like she was contemplating something. Tyki gave a sigh as he was led to the salon. Hopefully he hadn't done anything completely reckless…

* * *

"…You look…"

"Plastic," was her short answer.

"No. Beautiful. Stunning. Prepossessing."

"And you look…like Tyki Mikk. Gorgeous. Inhumanly handsome. Too good for me."

"Don't say that."

Tyki walked over to her, his liquid golden eyes shimmering. Rei brought her manicured fingers up to his tie and straightened it, her crimson lips parted in a gentle smile.

"Hm…" he mused. "Did you bring the set of emeralds from your home?"

"Yeah…I thought you'd choose green out for my dress…"

"You look sexy."

"Sexual harassment," she murmured as she touched the necklace at her throat. Its cold stones sent shivers down her spine. It seemed that some of Tyki's persona had rubbed off on his gift; Rei could not help but feel apprehensive around him.

"Let's go," he said, pushing her to his car. "Thanks, everyone."

They left amidst farewells and many bows. Tyki's slicked back hair and Giorgio Armani suit seemed to make him even farther away from Rei than he already was. She could not help but feel a sense of distance between the two of them, even though he sometimes said such sentimental things that she thought he was serious; seeing him so outrageously handsome made her feel all the more insecure. He seemed to notice her insecurity, however, for as they drove to the Chanel headquarters, he said,

"Rei, you look on par with any model who will be at the party tonight. Keep confident…like whenever you're fighting. You radiate…security. Be sure to keep that sort of stride when you walk tonight."

"Sure," she said, uneasily shifting in her seat, unsure how to deal with the anxiety crawling up in her chest.

They arrived and Rei wobbled out of the car in her six inch stilettos. Her dress was body-fitting and tight, accentuating her thin waist and figure. Her curly hair was tied high into a ponytail that was clipped to the side of her hair, letting the rest of it fall down her right shoulder. Her eyes flashed with unintended boldness as they were accentuated by the dark eyeliner; she caught a glimpse of herself in the window and felt a bit better. She looked…presentable, at the least.

Her stride grew stronger as she entered the ballroom; Tyki looked pleased with her regained confidence and slinked his arm around her waist. At her scowl, he simply smiled and turned his attention to the crowd.

"Bloody hell," said a voice behind them.

The two of them turned around; Rei grinned as she saw Allen, spruced up and looking uncomfortable in his suit.

"I thought that was you," he muttered, fiddling with his tie. "Goodness, Rei…sometimes I don't think you're even _you_ anymore, when you're looking that…"

"Hot," finished Tyki, pulling her closer to him. "Hello there, Walker."

"G'evening," said Allen in his natural British accent. "Doing well, Rei?"

"Decent as it goes, I s'pose," she murmured. "How were exams?"

"Dreadful. Failed math pretty well. When are you taking them?"

"When the next semester starts, I think."

"Good, because I thought you'd just stop coming to school altogether," he frowned. "Good God, Satsuma's been insufferable. She's here, by the way. Keep your head up."

"Thanks for the notice," she said with a wave as Tyki began to steer her away. "See you around, Allen."

"Oh, yeah, and why're you here with Mikk? Not with Kanda?"

Rei stiffened.

"Kanda's here?" she asked, jade eyes darting up to Tyki's face. "I thought he didn't have anything tonight…he said that he'd left me off to have a break…"

"Ha," laughed Allen sarcastically. "You really think he'd do that? Nah, he's over there with Lenalee…"

Rei was studying Tyki's expression intensely.

"You _knew_," she said incredulously.

"Yes…I did," he admitted.

Rei took a step back, escaping his hold. She could feel disbelief, not anger, flood her system; again, it was that feeling of betrayal and abandonment that trumped fury.

"So that's why you brought me?" she said. "To…to make me _angry_ with him once I saw him and so you could reinforce that he could possibly hurt me—"

"Yeah," he said without bothering to deny it. "It's true. I heard him talking with Lenalee to not bring you—"

"He…_planned_ it out with Lee not to tell me about this?!"

"Yeah," Tyki said frostily. "Rei. Please calm down."

"I am _very_ calm."

"Listen while I explain. I had my reasons. I don't want you to stay with Kanda, as a bodyguard or as…whatever you are to him. I'm very sure that his girlfriend doesn't really want you around either. Things are only get worse if you stay by him."

"Why…why do you, does _everyone_ feel the need to control my life?! I can make decisions myself, Tyki!"

"Shit…" said a familiar voice to the side.

Rei turned to the newcomer.

"I thought I heard your voice," Kanda groaned, Lenalee at his side. "Dear God…did you really follow me here?"

"Give me a fucking break," she snarled, grateful for the inflow of fury that was now coming to her aid upon seeing her employer. "What the hell am I doing here…somewhere where I _obviously_ don't fit in—"

She turned to leave, but Tyki caught her by the wrist.

"Stay," he said.

"Leave me alone," she snapped. "I'm going home."

"You can't," said Tyki lazily. "I drove you here."

"Just—"

"C'mon, Rei," said Allen, dragging Rei away by the wrist. "Let's go for a walk."

"Hang on—"

"We aren't like you," Allen said coldly. "We aren't models, we aren't celebrities. We started off as normal people. Let us have a moment."

He nodded briefly to Lenalee in farewell and brought Rei to the side.

"Stop it," he said before she could say anything.

"Stop what?" she said snappishly.

"Stop _hanging out with them_."

"Kanda's my boss. Tyki's a…"

"You're even on first name terms with him!" said Allen disbelievingly. "Rei, we're…"

"We're not them, I know. I'm not a model. I'm not a celebrity. I'm a _student_ who was _stupid_ enough to get entangled with the showbiz life," she said, annoyed. "But why are you lecturing me?! You're the one in love with Lenalee Lee!"

"Keep your voice down!" he hissed, flaring. "Okay, I'm sorry, I'm not allowed to lecture you…but good grief, Rei, I'm worried about you! These guys…they're obviously using you!"

"I know that already."

"So…"

"What am I supposed to do? Quit? Go back to being a normal student? What about money?"

"…You'll work it out," Allen said shortly.

"I'm not quitting."

"Rei…"

"I'm going back to Tyki," Rei sighed. "I'll last out this evening…and hopefully get some answers and some definition about my position among these guys."

Allen nodded hesitatingly.

"And if it's nothing good…"

"Then I'll quit immediately," she said, resigned. "Thanks for caring, Allen."

"…No problem."

They walked back to the group they'd left behind, which had now grown in size to welcome Lavi and his curvy date as well as Cross and his sexy looking escort.

"Problems?" said Lavi lightly when the two students returned.

"Nothing," said Rei in the same tone.

Tyki narrowed his eyes as he looked at Allen's ugly look, but he didn't comment about it and instead reached out to Rei again.

"I have to go greet the host," he said softly. "Please excuse us."

They left the rest of them. Rei did not look in Kanda's direction once.

* * *

What the _hell_ did she think he was?!

Part of the fucking wall?! Not to look in his direction _once_ after rejoining the group, pretending like he didn't exist!

And just to _go off with Mikk like that_.

Kanda was furious, he was pissed, and it was very apparent on his face. Lenalee must've noticed, for she put a consoling and reminding hand on his arm.

"We'll excuse ourselves as well," she smiled, pulling Kanda away. "Have a good night, everyone."

Kanda's blue eyes were still following Rei's receding figure; she was looking stunning, looking _beautiful_, but so haughty and arrogant that he couldn't stand it. Who said that she could go with Tyki? To come to this party with him, as his _date_, Kanda was furious. The blood seemed to be literally boiling in his veins.

"Stop looking at her!" said Lenalee as they'd distanced themselves from their colleagues.

"I'm not," he said, still glaring at Rei's green dress.

Lenalee brought a hand up to his face and snapped her fingers together.

"Hello?!" she said. "Stop!"

"Okay!" he said, aggravated.

"Why is she here?" Lenalee questioned, brown eyes clouded with suspicion.

"I didn't tell her about this, if that's what you mean," he said defensively. "She probably just came with Mikk."

Lenalee sighed.

"Fine, let's go and spend some time alone," she said wearily. "Get away from this crowd…"  
Kanda decided not to voice that he didn't really want to leave, for once in his life. He wanted to watch Rei, make sure that she and Tyki wouldn't do anything stupid…but he couldn't very well say that aloud.

He let Lenalee take him outside of the ballroom and into a room in an adjacent hallway. They sat down at a coffee table, neither of them saying anything.

"…Do you…like Matsumomo-san?" asked Lenalee, finally breaking the silence.

"Hell no."

"…Please be truthful."

"I am."

Silence once again ensued. The clock ticked away as both of them looked away from each other. Minutes passed and neither of them knew what to say.

Voices grew outside of the room. Kanda tensed as he recognized them. Rei and Tyki.

"Rei…I hope you understand…"

"It's fine," Rei said serenely. "I just wanted to know…what you think of me. A bodyguard. A person. Or a way to get at Kanda? Because if it's the last, I think you're wasting your time."

"I don't think I am."

"What makes you say that?"

"I saw you two kiss on Christmas," Tyki said icily.

Lenalee's eyes widened at the Portuguese model's last words, and she turned to Kanda, shock spread through her entire face. Kanda brought a finger up to her lips, trying to convey the message that he wanted to listen to the rest of their conversation. He would explain later. Lenalee, however, did not seem to understand, for she opened her mouth to demand an explanation. Kanda did the next logical thing in his mind to shut her up—he kissed her, gently and coaxingly, as he listened to the conversation outside.

Rei was speaking. "…He was playing around."

"Kanda is not that type of person."

Lenalee immediately loosened up at the physical intimacy; her arms drew Kanda nearer to her and wrapped themselves around his neck. She responded fervently.

"…You're right. He's not. I don't know what they meant. If I mean anything to him at all. All I know…is that…" Rei cleared her throat, as if prolonging the moment. "I'm in love with an idiot like him. I don't know why."

"…I don't either. What…there is nothing…nothing in him worth seeing. I don't understand…_Bookman_, maybe, he's chivalrous and at least polite…but I don't understand why you and Lee both see something spectacular in him—"

"I don't know why either," she said faintly.

"Then _stop_—"

"It's beyond reason at this point, Tyki—"

Tyki banged on the door, probably punching it out of frustration. The sound did not stop Lenalee from her activities; she slipped her tongue in Kanda's mouth and deepened the kiss.

"Fine," Kanda heard Tyki say bitterly. "…You'll be hurt. You know that."

Rei laughed very weakly. "But it's the same with you too, right? After all, you never answered my question."

Tyki exhaled loudly.

"I'm going," he said after a moment. "I…think I need a break from this. I'll call someone to pick you up in…how long are you staying?"

"Tyki—"

"_How long are you staying_?" he repeated with a deadliness that Kanda had not expected him to use with Rei.

"…Ten minutes at most…"

"There will be a car here to pick you up," Tyki said stiffly.

"Tyki…"

"I'll see you later."

There was the sound of receding footsteps; Tyki had left. The doorknob twisted abruptly; everything registered in Kanda's head, and he knew that Rei was walking in—this was going to be bad—

But nothing could stop what was inevitable.

* * *

Rei just wanted everything to stop. Wanted to clear things up with Kanda. And then go back to her normal life.

She opened the door to the side room, wanting some time alone. But what she saw made her stop—dead—and her heart seemed to stop beating.

Kanda was kissing Lenalee intensely; her arms were wrapped around his neck, their bodies pressed so close that they seemed to melt into each other.

All Rei could think was that he had definitely heard.

The door was thin, even slightly open after Tyki had punched it. Kanda had definitely heard everything, heard her confession, heard it _all_, and he was still sitting there _making the fuck out with Lenalee_ as if Rei was part of the _fucking wall_—

She didn't want to wait there any longer. She turned around without bothering to see Kanda disentangle him from Lenalee, did not hear his voice calling down the hallway.

Tyki was already gone, already pulled out of the garage. Rei was now alone, and she could not stand to stay there for another damn ten minutes—she needed to get out, needed to get away—

Her feet carried her with as much speed as they could in six inch heels to the exit. The frosty coldness bit at her bare skin—she hadn't bothered to get her jacket—as she surveyed the empty streets. An overwhelming conglomeration of emotions suddenly flooded her chest—anger, betrayal, sadness, fear, confusion—and she didn't know what she wanted to do, what she had to do…she could feel her throat constrict and tears stinging her eyes but she refused to let them fall, refused to let herself realize that Kanda had gotten her down to this point in her emotional stability, to the point where she was actually going to _cry_ when she hadn't done so in years—

Where to go, where to be? Alone, forsaken, abandoned, betrayed? She didn't want to be alone, didn't want to go back to that empty apartment that Kanda and her had lived in only a week earlier, didn't want to be in the kitchen where she'd been kissed—twice—for the first time.

Speed. She needed to get out of there. Away from the party. Away from them all.

She couldn't run in these shoes. Rei kicked them off, breathing harshly. She looked up once, glancing at the night sky. Snow was beginning to fall.

With her heels in hand, she set off to the only place she could think of to go, to the one person that maybe thought of her as something, even though he hadn't said so, even though he had left her moments before. She went to Tyki.

* * *

**Free Talk**:

Thank you all for reviewing! I'm sorry this took so long--I had standardized testing this week and thus had to study very hard. :(

If this chapter seems rushed, I'm sorry--if a lot of people think it's bad, I'll try to re-edit it and upload it again. I just wanted to get something long and new out to you guys because I felt bad for keeping you all waiting.

And yes, a lot of people probably seem OOC. I'm really sorry. It needed to go this way. Hopefully this will be as far as OOC stretches. I'm sorry again.

And I'm sorry that Kanda's such an asshole. In reality, he is, but still...I feel bad. And for totally killing Lenalee's personality as well. I'm sorry.

Sorry for saying sorry so much, haha.

PLEASE REVIEW!!!! And~~~ I was surprised with the evenness of the vote for Tyki vs. Kanda; Kanda only won by a few votes or so! And that might change with this chapter! :) Please tell me what you think the pairing should be!

Please review, even though I'm so incredibly unworthy!!!

Love, -m.n.-

P.S. I'm getting too confused on monitoring who votes for whom. I've created a poll on my profile for who you prefer--please vote!


	13. Propositions of Gold

**Chapter 13: Propositions of Gold**

Tyki returned to his apartment, angry and yet starting to feel slightly guilty. He had long known about Rei's infatuation with Kanda—hell, he'd even teased her about it—but actually hearing those words come out of her mouth was, for some reason, almost degrading. He was not used to losing when it came to women. And he still could not, for the life of him, see what was better about Kanda. And he highly doubted he ever would.

Tyki sat in front of the T.V., sprawled across his couch, a glass of wine in his hand. His tie was strewn across the floor, his jacket tossed indecorously across a chair, his shirt slightly opened. The room was warm, contrasting to the cold weather outside, and Tyki was going through the process of calming himself down. A cigarette at his lips, he flipped through the channels lazily, trying not to think about Rei.

His cell phone rang abruptly. He picked it up without looking at the caller.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Mikk?" an unfamiliar voice said. "This is the chauffeur you called to come to the Chanel party and pick up…" There was a rustling sound—he must have been consulting a piece of paper. "…Miss Matsumomo?"

"Yeah, just take her back to her house," he said coldly as the image of Rei appeared in his mind.

"Well, er, there's a problem. See, she's not here."

Tyki bolted upright, almost spilling wine on himself.

"What?"

"Yes, and I've asked around, and everyone says that they saw her leave."

"Leave?" repeated Tyki, who was now starting to get alarmed.

"Yes…and she's left her jacket and purse here and everything—I assume she was in a great hurry to leave…"

"Shit," he cursed. "Keep looking—I'll be there in five minutes."

"Yes sir."

Tyki hung up, lowly cursing at himself. It had been a stupid idea, making Rei wait behind just because he didn't want to stay with her any more—so stupid, because Rei was perfectly capable of running away somewhere. And he knew for a fact that her phone was still in her purse, and thus he had no way of contacting her. The night couldn't get any worse.

* * *

"Miss, Mr. Mikk has said that he doesn't want any visitors," a man was trying to explain.

"Please let me through," Rei said breathlessly. She was positively freezing, but her coldness did not make her desire to see Tyki any less urgent.

"Mr. Mikk has given explicit orders—"

"I don't give a damn, please let me see him—"

"I'm afraid we can't—"

Rei shot past him quickly, her heels dangling in her hand. She could hear the attendants chasing her, but Rei was not about to be outrun by some stupid man in a suit—she wanted to see Tyki before those tears started falling…

She ran up the stairs to Tyki's apartment, number 202. There. Her hand came up and was about to knock on the door when it opened by itself. Tyki, fully dressed and by the looks of it, about to go out, paused as he saw her, his golden eyes gleaming in surprise.

"Rei…" he said in relief.

"Ma'am, please go downstairs!" the attendant said angrily.

Tyki waved him away. "It's fine, I'll take care of her."

"Sir—"

"Leave now."

The man bowed deeply and descended the stairs, out of sight. Rei's green eyes were fixated on Tyki's beautiful face; her breaths were coming short and harshly, and she was shaking terribly from the cold.

"You idiot…" he said softly, though there was no condescension in his voice. "Why in the world did you leave the party? Scared the shit out of me…and why the hell were you running in the cold…_barefoot_?!" His eyes landed on her feet, which were scratched and bleeding from running across icy pavement. "Good God, Rei…"

"I'm sorry," she said weakly, all the emotions suddenly hitting her like a train as she stared up at Tyki's smooth face. "I—"

She could no longer help herself; she threw herself at Tyki, hugging him tightly as the cold tears started streaming down her face. She was so angry with herself, so angry with Kanda, and yet she felt betrayed, so desperate, so _miserable,_ she could not stop these sentimental actions that she'd never done before…

Tyki brought his arms around her trembling body and led her into the warm apartment, closing the door behind her.

"You're freezing," he said quietly, tracing his warm hand up and down her bare shoulders. "You're so stupid, Rei…"

When she didn't reply, he picked her up and placed her on the couch. His embrace did not leave her; his arms still slunk around her body, he held her quite closely in an attempt to warm her up.

"I'm guessing…" he said slowly, "that you're not running here because you felt so bad for confessing to Kanda in front of me. What happened?"

"…I'm an idiot," she said, her voice muffled as she buried her face in his chest.

"I think both of us have already justified that fact," sighed Tyki. "So what happened?"

Slowly, and haltingly, and muffled at that, for Rei did not move her face to actually be in front of Tyki's, she recalled what happened, what she had seen Kanda and Lenalee doing…she thought she heard Tyki give a low growl, but perhaps she imagined it…

When she finished speaking, she finally looked up at him, her tears having finally stopped and smeared across her face. She was feeling a bit better, having vented, and perhaps the crying had had some sort of stress-relieving effect. Her heart was still throbbing painfully, but it was dull enough to ignore it. Tyki brought a hand around her chin, caressing her cheek, his face unbearably close to hers.

"I thought I told you…that nothing good was going to come out of loving him."

"Yeah," she croaked. "Yeah, I know."

"…So what will you do? That scene…must have _jarred_ you out of your stupidity."

"…I don't know. I mean, I still have to work for him—"

"Are you really that dense?!" said Tyki dryly. "You still think it's worth money seeing stuff like that all the time? And when you do, what will you do after that? Come running to me? I'm not your home base, Rei."

"I never meant it like that—"

"Quit."

"…What?"

"Quit your job. Now."

"But…but I can't," she said frantically. "Damn it, Tyki, I need _money_."

"The first time I saw you, I said that if you ever needed a job, I'd be willing to hire you."

"Yes, but you don't _need_ a bodyguard."

"I never said I'd hire you as a bodyguard."

"…Then as what?" she said warily, getting the wrong idea.

He noticed her apprehension, for he smirked.

"You're thinking dirty thoughts, aren't you?"

"No," she said defiantly.

"Of course, if you want to be hired as my lover, that wouldn't be a bad idea either," he chortled.

Rei blushed and opened her mouth rebelliously. Tyki, however, brought a finger up to her lips.

"I have…a very interesting proposition for you," he said breathily. "I know very well that it is impossible for you to fall out of love with Kanda that easily. Even though he's an asshole…I know that you're not going to get over him. I'm also really furious that he's been playing around with you like that. So…" Tyki's lips contorted into a smirk. "So, let's make Kanda regret losing you, hm?"

"I…don't understand," she said cautiously.

"Why does he choose Lenalee Lee over you?"

"Because she's pretty," Rei said flatly. "Because she's popular, because she's a model—"

"Correct. She's a model," interrupted Tyki. "Models date models. Celebrities date celebrities. That's common. So in that case…how do we make Kanda acknowledge you?"

Rei was finally seeing where Tyki was going with his point.

"That's not going to happen," she said emphatically. "Tyki, me being a model is as unlikely as…you being…ugly."

"Well then, I must be very ugly, because I'm quite confident that you have every capability of being a model."

"There is no way that Kanda's going to care—"

"Hush, let me finish. I want to make Kanda realize that exactly what he's lost. So part one. Become a model. An amazing model. Become better than Lenalee Lee."

"That's impossible," Rei said shortly.

"Second, be my 'play-bodyguard.'"

"What?!"

"Kanda valued you the most for your ability to fight and protect him. If that ability goes to someone else—mainly, me—he'll be furious."

"Is your goal just to make him mad?" said Rei acidly. "Because that's not difficult at all—just shove something up his—"

"Meanwhile," interrupted Tyki, "something else that would work wonderfully…is if you dated me." His eyes studied her face for a reaction. There was none. "But judging from your expression, I don't think that will happen. So, putting that off…what I'm basically saying is that I will do everything in my power to make Kanda regret losing."

"Why?" she said suspiciously. "There's no benefit for you in helping me."

"Quite the contrary, because I have a condition."

"…What?"

"My family wants you to enter in our service as a bodyguard," he said.

Rei's eyes widened.

"What?"

"I've already mentioned to you before that your mother was my brother's bodyguard. When I told Cyril that I knew you, he was very insistent that I bring you back to Portugal. Of course, I don't really want to give you over to the family. Thus, my condition is this." He shifted his legs, sitting closer to her and bringing an arm around her neck. "I'll give you a year. Do everything you can, anything you want to make Kanda fall for you. I'll do everything in my power over the course of this year to make it happen. If you can make him admit that he's in love with you before this year is over, I'll let you go. However…if you can't, you'll work for me—officially. And if you think it's just bodyguard work, you're thinking too innocently."

A look of revulsion passed Rei's face. She could not believe what Tyki had just offered.

"No thank you," she said snappishly. "I'm not so petty as to go through 'revenge' and have a chance of being your plaything…I thought you were actually being sincere earlier, but you're just as much of a bastard as—"

"I'm joking," he grinned. "The condition is that you have to work for me. To enter my family's services. Not the other part…unless you want to."

Suspicion clouded Rei's mind, and she did not answer. Again, she was filled with that sense of apprehension that always came whenever she was around Tyki. He was leering even closer, his liquid gold eyes so cold, yet so alluring…

"Before you answer…think back to how you felt when you saw Kanda making out with Lenalee, especially since you _knew_ that he'd heard you confess. And he was still kissing her like none other. Or think about how you've been used, how you've been treated…he's always been nice to Lenalee…why isn't he nice to you? He doesn't see you as anything, Rei. Never has, never will. Do you want to make him regret his choice? Make him realize your worth? And at the same time…perhaps get him to love you back?" Tyki's lips were hovering centimeters away from her ear. His now-whispered words, his seduction and convincing nature…it was like she was being hypnotized. She closed her eyes to his voice. "And it's not bad to work for me, Rei…because I care about you…I treasure you more than he does, more than he ever will. So what will you say? Will you take my offer?"

Seconds passed that stretched on for an eternity; emotions ranging from anger, incredulity, defiance, and sorrow all swept through Rei at that moment…she knew the risks, knew the consequences…but she would not stand for being second place any longer…and when she opened her eyes, she knew her answer.

"Yes."

Tyki straightened up, glimpsing the sight of her determined green irises, and grinned.

"Good," he smiled. "Now let's get you bandaged up…and get your contract written out and signed."

He took her hand and bowed deeply, kissing it.

"I look forward to working with you, Matsumomo Rei," he said, his golden eyes piercing. "Please take care of me."

* * *

_Two weeks later_.

"For the last time, moyashi, I have no hell of an idea where she is!" said Kanda irritably.

"She works for you—how do you not know, you moron?!"

"She hasn't shown up for work this entire time!" Kanda said hotly, finally spinning around to meet Allen's eyes. "And I've tried contacting her, but her phone's dead, and she never picked up!"

"Well, obviously if her phone's dead, she wouldn't hear you calling in the first place!" said Allen with a sneer. "You're useless, Ba-Kanda!"

"Say that again, moyashi, and I swear I'll rip your head off your shoulders and feed it to the dogs."

"Who the hell uses such old-school insults?" Allen said mockingly. "'Cause nowadays, we just say 'I'm going to beat the living shit out of you,' but no, Ba-Kanda is just what his name is: Ba-Kanda, and he's unable to think of any more creative insults than the ones he picks up out of history textbooks."

"I will seriously—"

"Oh, what's next?" jeered Allen. "Decapitate me and put my head up on a stake? Because that's what Macbeth did, and he didn't turn out so pretty in the end, did he?"

"Both of you," a stern voice said behind them before Kanda could retaliate, "shut up. You're in school."

Komui looked at the two of them wearily.

"You two have been snapping away at each other for much too long…" he said, exhausted. "But I must side with Walker in this matter; Kanda, do you seriously have no idea where Matsumomo Rei is? I thought you lived right next to her."

"The girl hasn't been home this entire time," said Kanda coolly. "I have no idea where she went."

"This is really troubling," said Komui worriedly. "You haven't seen her at work, with perhaps Tyki Mikk or anything?"

"Mikk hasn't shown up lately," said Allen. "Shishou says he's been really busy with Ralph Lauren shoots—he's their main spokesman on the international stage, so Mikk said that came in priority."

"No mention of Rei—nothing?"

"Nope…"

"I see," said Komui, a bit upset. "Well, I'll have to see what's going on…I've tried contacting her father as well, but there's no reply."

"Her dad's been missing for more than half a year," said Kanda, deciding to come clean about the entire thing despite Allen's glare.

"He's what?!"

"Which is why she worked for me—she needed the money. Her dad left without another word."

"Goodness gracious!" said Komui faintly. "And she never told me this?"

"She was afraid that she'd be kicked out," said Allen grudgingly.

"We wouldn't have kicked her out for that!"

"And she didn't want to be sent to an orphanage because she's not of age yet…"

"Oh…yes…that might've been an issue…but all the same!"

The bell rang before the conversation could continue further. Komui sighed.

"We will discuss this later," he said seriously. "If any of you hear anything about her, please alert me."

With curt nods, the two of them went off to class.

* * *

Kanda sat in class, bored. He was staring out the window. A girl with short hair was coming through the school gates. Wow, someone was late…

He turned his attention to the book in front of him, his concentration slipping in and out. Unwillingly, his thoughts turned to Rei. He really hadn't seen her since that night that seemed so long ago. Lenalee and his relationship had surprisingly not gotten worse—on the contrary, it had gotten better—but because of that, Rei was no longer there. No words, no emails. He had not realized the significance of her presence until she left. His job seemed a little more quiet now…

Komui was lecturing when the door suddenly opened. All eyes turned to see that latecomer.

"Rei!" Allen shouted, standing up at his desk.

Kanda's blue eyes widened as he struggled to identify the figure. She looked a bit different, with makeup on, but the most startling contrast was her hair. He abruptly realized that the person he'd just seen walk through the school gates had been Rei, and he hadn't realized it…but that was her hair's fault. Cut to her shoulders, it fell in a stylish sort of way that curved in towards her chin. It was still slightly wavy, but it didn't look horrible. On the contrary, she looked rather…good. More mature, definitely…but those green eyes were still that same shade of jade, though they seemed a bit more saddened, older…

And she was dressed impeccably, for once. A Burberry trench coat, dark tights and knee-high boots…a simple white scarf…the outfit overall emitted a clean and refreshing sense. Kanda opened his mouth to address her, but Komui beat him to it.

"Where in the world have you been?!" said the teacher, striding over to her. "No word of anything; the semester started and no one knew where you were!"

"Don't worry," she said reassuringly, "I've been fine…Sensei, could we talk for a moment?"

"We're in class," he said sternly. "Please sit down—you still have to make up your exams…"

"Sensei,' said Rei a tad shortly, "I'm not going to take my exams."

"Of course you are—what do you want to do, fail?"

"I—"

A ringtone suddenly cut off Rei's sentence.

"No cell phones in school," Komui said severely.

"Hang on a moment," Rei said wearily, withdrawing her phone. It was sleek and definitely not that ancient block of a phone that she used to have. Kanda felt a bristle of anger. So she had changed her phone number? And hadn't bothered to tell him? "Hello?"

A deathly silence fell as everyone stared at Rei, who had before always listened to Komui's directions.

"Yeah, okay," she said in English. "All right, I'll be there."

She hung up and simply looked at Komui's outstretched hand for the phone.

"Sensei, I'm not handing over my phone," she said tiredly.

"School policy, Matsumomo!"

"Ah, yes, that's what I came to say. I'm dropping out."

A stunned silence.

"You're _WHAT?!_"

The outburst came not from Komui, but from Allen, who walked over to her quickly.

"YOU ARE _NOT_ LEAVING ME HERE WITH THEM!" he bellowed.

Rei winced.

"I'm sorry, Allen, but—"

"NO BUT'S—I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS—SHOULDN'T YOU HAVE AT LEAST TOLD ME WHERE YOU WERE?! I'VE BEEN WORRIED SICK ABOUT YOU!"

"I know," said Rei sympathetically. "But I really can't come to school any longer."

"But _why_?"

"…I have my reasons," she smiled enigmatically. "I just came to let Lee-sensei know that…and I have to go soon, someone's coming to pick me up…"

"And who might that be?" said Kanda icily.

All heads then turned to him at his intervention. Aiko mouthed wordlessly like a goldfish.

Rei's smile grew poisonous.

"None of your business," she answered.

"Not one phone call, no texts, no emails, and you haven't been in your apartment since New Year's," Kanda said coldly. "You're my _employee_—"

"Not anymore," Rei said with a tone that was on par with Kanda's. "I quit."

"Are you kidding me?!"

"No. I found a new job. I'm getting out of this whole showbiz world—it's too stressful and definitely not worth it. So I'm going to work full time at some random burger joint or something where I don't have to see your arrogant face ever again—"

"And you didn't _tell_ me?!"

"No, because by all means, I hope you get shot," she replied frostily.

There was an awkward silence following her ominous words.

"Ha," said Kanda humorlessly. "Fine. I didn't need you anyway."

"Good."

Rei's phone vibrated violently in her hand. She answered it.

"Hello?"

A pause.

"Oh, okay. I'll be down there in a moment, I'm just wrapping things up. Okay, thanks. Bye."

She hung up again.

"So burger joints require you to speak English now?" said Kanda sardonically.

"Oh yes, they're very high class now," she said with the same venomous smile. "I'll be going now. Lee-sensei, thanks for everything."

"This is…this is so sudden, Matsumomo—"

"All the paperwork's been sent to your office," she said pointedly. "It's all legit; I'm officially dropping out." She took a few steps back. "I'm going now."

"Hang on," Allen said shortly, taking a few more steps forward. "Sensei, do you mind if we talk for a while?"

Komui looked exasperatedly between the two of them, then nodded briefly.

"Make it quick, Walker. And Matsumomo…"

"Yes, sensei?"

Komui smiled and waved.

"Good luck."

Rei smiled in return, and without another word, walked out the door, not even sparing a moment to say goodbye to Kanda.

* * *

"Mikk…" Lavi said as Tyki entered the room.

"Yo. It's been a while."

"Ralph Lauren shoots done?"

"Finally. Sorry for holding this up."

"No biggie, we don't have a shoot today, so you wasted your time comin'."

"Nah, I needed to talk to you and Marian about something."

Lavi raised an eyebrow in question, but waited until Cross walked over.

"Marian, Mikk says he's got somethin' to talk to us about. You got an idea on what it is?"

"No clue," said Cross simply. "Sit down, Mikk. Let's talk. What's going on?"

"I don't want to work with Kanda Yuu," he said concisely.

Lavi smirked, but let Cross do the honors of chastising Tyki.

"You're an idiot!" he groaned. "Mikk, this is not some child's game—be _mature_, really! I know you don't like him, but—"

"My feelings of animosity towards him are so strong that it is impossible for me to be able to work with him," Tyki said icily. "But I'm not going to screw up your jobs, Marian. I have a proposition."

"Name it."

"We will all be subjects in your photoshoot, but instead of collaborating, we'll work against each other. You have our group shots already—those were phenomenal—and those will be enough for our collaboration. The rest of the gallery will be individuals."

"But that defies the point of us all coming here," Lavi said with narrowed eyes.

"Let me finish, Bookman. I suggest that we shoot separately, but with girls."

"…And what will be the desired image?" Cross said, blowing out a breath of smoke.

"I dunno, that's up to you. Establish a common theme that you want all of us to portray, and we'll select female models to be our partners. We will all work to give the desired result, but of course, it'll be a sort of contest to see who can portray the theme the best. This sort of competitive sense, I believe, will be better for Kanda's, the rookie, learning experience than working with people he hates. Comparing our images at the end will give him a better idea of how far he trails behind on the international stage. Not only that, Kanda doesn't have all that many images with females—it'll be a good experience for him."

"…What are you planning?" Cross said suspiciously.

"What do you mean?" Tyki said innocently.

"Your motivation to do well is feigned; you seem to have an ulterior motive."

"I'll explain later," said Tyki cryptically.

"I'd like to be in on the secret," grinned Lavi. "Though personally, I don't think this is a bad idea, Marian. I'd like to compete with Mikk; shove how much better I am than he is in his face…"

"Give me a break, Bookman," Tyki said, rolling his eyes. "But since Bookman agrees…can we do this?"

"I'll think about it," Cross said after a momentary pause. "Who would be your female counterpart, though?"

"I'm thinking Kate Schrödlich," said Lavi, thinking. "I'm sort of annoyed that Kanda's worked with her and I haven't."

"And you, Mikk?"

"That's a secret."

"I'm going to find out anyway…"

"I'll let you know later," he smiled. "So, it's in?"

"…We'll see what Kanda has to say about it."

"Fine," said Tyki. "Well, I've got to go now—let me know what he says, all right? I gotta go."

"Me too," yawned Lavi, standing up. "See ya, Marian."

"Tomorrow, here at three," reminded Cross. "Don't be late, Mikk."

"Aw man," Tyki said as they left, "he's always pickin' on me…"

"So what's the real reason behind all this?" asked Lavi the moment they were out of earshot.

"Not telling."

"I'm going to find out," Lavi said warningly.

"Good luck."

"It's about Matsumomo Rei, isn't it?"

Tyki beeped open the doors to his Lotus with a twisted smirk.

"Why are you this damn insightful?"

"Bingo," said the British model, satisfied. "I knew it. But how she plays into this…"

"You'll see. Need a ride?"

"…Yeah. Normally, I'd walk, but lately these girls have been following me…"

"Tell me about it…"

Tyki slipped into the driver's seat and turned on the engine as Lavi sat beside him, closing the door with a thump. Tyki pulled out his cell phone and began dialing.

"Who're you calling?" asked Lavi.

"Rei."

"Hm…Kanda won't like that."

"Kanda won't like anything I'm doing," smirked Tyki. "After all, I think I have Rei wrapped around my little finger."

* * *

Allen walked with Rei down the stairs, sighing as Rei finished explaining what had happened that had caused the rift between the two of them.

"I see," he said. "But why do I feel like a girl who just got her hair cut and is wearing Burberry and Coach isn't going to be working in a burger joint?"

"Eh…"

"Where have you been for the last two weeks, Rei?"

"Well, you see…"

"You're not really dropping out of showbiz world, are you?" said Allen strictly.

"…No, I'm not."

"…Are you working for Mikk?"

"Kind of…"

"What do you mean, 'kind of?'" said Allen angrily.

"Look, Allen," said Rei, "I just don't want to explain because it's not certain yet. But you'll know, I swear. Here."

She held up her cellphone and dialed Allen's number. He could feel it vibrating in the pocket of his blazer.

"There, now you have my number. Call me whenever, all right?"

"Fine," he said grumpily. "Well, now that you're gone…maybe I should drop out and just work full-time for Cross anyway…"

"That's up to you…oh, and just don't tell Kanda about anything, okay? Well, that should've been obvious…and don't tell him my number either…and he better just think that I'm working my ass off at a burger joint…"

They had finally arrived at the school gates. The wind was blowing harshly, tossing Rei's hair this way and that. Allen saw her reach up and pat it down, pushing it behind her ear. A silver stud glistened at her earlobe; she had pierced her ears…

"Rei," Allen said, his throat constricting slightly. "I feel like you…"

At that moment, a black car pulled up. Its tinted window rolled down, and Allen saw Tyki Mikk and Lavi Bookman in its depths.

"I have to go, Allen," she said, her expression one of sincere apology. "…I'm really sorry."

"No," he said in halfhearted reassurance. "No, it's fine." He managed to smile. "Good luck…"

Rei reached over and hugged him, letting him go quickly and heading over to the black car.

"I'll call you!" she said, waving. "And you'll probably see me soon!"

"Yeah," he said, smile still in place as he waved back. "Good luck!"

The car pulled away, and Allen felt a sense of loss. Rei didn't seem like…Rei anymore. Not with the short hair, the sad green eyes, the lip gloss, the eyeliner…the pierced ears, the brand-name clothes…

Matsumomo Rei was the bodyguard who cursed like a sailor, who thought Calculus was fun, who came to school looking like she'd just walked through a tornado, disheveled…who scowled more than she smiled and yet somehow had time to spend teaching Allen…

But she'd been replaced by someone. Someone who looked pretty, someone who hid secrets from him and yet was apologetic about it. Someone who just wasn't quite Rei.

It seemed like Matsumomo Rei didn't exist anymore.

* * *

**Free Talk**:

Okay. You guys are just completely....phenomenal. amazing, incredible, fantastic, mind-blowing, and just so...STUPENDOUS!

31 reviews for ONE chapter!!! I'm so honored. So happy. -bows- Thank you so much!!!

If you're wondering, no, Allen does not harbor any romantic feelings for Rei. He's just feeling sad because it seems like he's lost a friend, and he's the only one who's noticed Rei's change. It's nothing romantic--he likes Lenalee. :)

So~ a slight twist in events? Hopefully you liked it? Hopefully? X) I don't have that much to say in this Free Talk...oh, but if you haven't noticed already, I have a poll on my profile about who Rei should be paired with in the end. Right now, Tyki's winning (sort of surprising, haha, but I guess not really after that last chapter.) So if you haven't voted, by all means, go vote!

Sorry Kanda didn't get that much screen time in this one...he'll be around more. :)

Again, thanks so much for reading and reviewing. You don't know how happy I am. :) And please review again!!! I'd love to get 30 reviews again...-hint hint- x)

Thanks,

-mn-


	14. Love, Lust, Life Lessons

**Chapter 14: Love, Lust, Life Lessons**

"You want to what?" said Kanda with a look of disgust.

"I don't want it," said Cross wearily. "It was Mikk's idea. He said to drop the collaboration between you three and instead enact some sort of contest between all of you, with female models. I'll establish a theme, and you guys portray it to the best of your ability."

"Where exactly is he going with this?"

"He said it be a better experience for you."

"Bullshit," retorted Kanda. "There's no way Mikk has his best intentions in mind when it comes to _helping_ me."

"I dunno," sighed Cross. "Bookman's all for it—he thinks it'll be a good and relatively fun idea—but I figured I should let you know. Would you rather work against them or with them?"

Kanda paused in his answer. He could not deny that he didn't want to work with Mikk—period—but something seemed slightly fishy about the whole plan…

"Who would be our partners?" he said suspiciously.

Cross shrugged. "I thought I'd leave that up to you. Lavi wants to work with Kate Schrödlich—you know, the one you worked with before—and Mikk's not fessing up who he wants to work with. Though I'm going to find out sooner or later anyway…I'm guessing you would work with Lenalee Lee?"

"…I guess so," he scowled, though lately Lenalee had gotten a bit too clingy for his liking. "You don't know who Mikk's working with?"

"Nah…but I'm guessing you've okayed this whole thing?"

"It's pretty obvious that Mikk's challenging me," said Kanda. "I'll be more than willing to beat him at his own game."

Cross smirked. "You know, if this is going to put a sense of good competition between you three, I'm not going to mind this at all. I have high expectations from you all…this will be a good show."

"Of course."

"But you know, Kanda, you have lots of work to do; I still feel like the set that I shot for Mikk on the Mediterranean is the best that I've ever shot. You going to be up to par?"

Kanda's blue eyes narrowed. "Definitely."

* * *

"And here I was, thinking that Rei-chan had dropped off the face of the earth, but no, she's working for _Mikk_ now!" Lavi grinned as Rei climbed in the car. "You like your models, dontcha?"

"Of course," she answered. "What's Bookman doing here, Tyki?"

"Just giving him a ride," the Portuguese model replied. "No biggie."

"Yes, biggie," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Bookman, get out of my seat…"

"His house is two minutes away, Rei," said Tyki. "You can reclaim your throne then."

"Hm, you sure get along better with Tyki than with Kanda," remarked Lavi. "Does he know about this?"

"No, he now thinks I'm working at a fast food restaurant," said Rei lightly.

"Any idiot would be able to tell that's a lie," the Brit said, surveying Rei up and down. "Who the hell wears Burberry to a fast food stop?"

"Shut up. And don't tell Kanda I'm working for Tyki," Rei said warningly.

"Hm…what's in it for me?"

"Just don't," said Tyki. "We have our reasons."

"You're paying for our next meal," said Lavi.

"Fine."

"Deal," said Lavi, content. "So Kanda doesn't know, eh? C'mon, you two, let me in on some secrets, would ya?"

"Next time," said Tyki. "We're here."

"Aw man…well, I guess I'll be seeing ya around then, Rei."

"Yeah," she said, unbuckling her seatbelt and preparing to climb over. "Bye, Bookman."

"Later, guys."

Lavi alighted the car and shut the door firmly behind him with an easy smile before ascending the stairs to his house.

"Rei," Tyki said as he pulled back out onto the roads.

"Yes?"

"You okay?"

She climbed into the shotgun seat and fastened her seatbelt before turning to look at him.

"I'm fine. What makes you think otherwise?"

A faint smile played at his lips.

"Well…you saw Kanda, right?"

"And what of it?" she said calmly, her eyes closing as she leaned back on the headrest.

"…Jeez, women…so prideful."

"Okay, fine," she snapped, opening her eyes. Tyki could see the inner Rei who had been suppressed ever since Rei had accepted the deal suddenly resurface. "I'm an idiot!"

"…You know, I think I've had enough of your self-deprecation as of late…"

"No, seriously!" she whined, propping her feet up on the dashboard. "I acted like such a bitch to him! I was supposed to something _nice_, get back on his good side, but no—the moment I saw his face, my inner bitch surfaced and I just—"

"Good," said Tyki happily.

Rei shot him a glare.

"Not good."

"Good for me," he grinned. "I hope your inner bitch comes out whenever he's around…"

Rei sighed and retracted her legs from the dashboard.

"Tyki, I don't understand you sometimes…" she murmured, looking at him as he drove.

"I'm very easy to understand, sweet. What's complicated about me?"

"I never know what you're thinking," she said quietly. "Are you thinking the best for me? Or are you scheming something just so you can get back at Kanda because you don't like him?"

"Both. He's not healthy for you."

"And you are?"

Tyki didn't answer. Rei sighed again.

"You have another appointment tonight?" she asked casually.

She _would_ ask the question that would make her win the argument…

"Yeah," he said, his tone lined with a hard edge.

"I see…are you going to be home by midnight? I'll leave the door open if you are…"

"No, you can leave it locked," he replied. "I'll try to get back early though…don't want to disturb your beauty sleep…"

Rei had been living with Tyki for the last two weeks. Tyki had been unwilling to let her go back to her old apartment, which was right next to Kanda's, and had instead offered her a room at his place, seeing as the apartment was big enough for five people. They hadn't done anything—of course not—and even though Tyki had joked around about sleeping with her, he had controlled himself very well and not laid a hand on her.

Of course, that was all facilitated by his nightly "appointments." Tyki knew very well that Rei knew what exactly the "appointments" consisted of. She didn't bother stopping him, which irritated him slightly, but he did not stop with his nightly engagements—really, she couldn't say anything about it, especially since she voiced nothing against it.

"My beauty sleep," she snorted. "I still think this whole model business is way outta my league."

Her speech only dropped back to its normal crass "Rei" speech whenever she was around him. Tyki had noticed a significant refinement in her entire persona ever since she'd started her job, though he could also tell how much effort it cost her. Only around him did she return to being the old Rei, which made Tyki feel…special. Only slightly though.

"You're doing very well," he said encouragingly. "The Ralph Lauren photographer said you matched me extremely well."

"That's only because you were whispering instructions out of the corner of your mouth the entire time," she muttered, shifting uneasily in her seat.

"Rei," he said exasperatedly, "stop deprecating yourself already! Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately?!"

"But I feel like that's not…me," she said quietly. "Doesn't seem quite…right."

Tyki exhaled as he pulled up in front of his apartment. Before the valet came around to collect his keys, Tyki leaned over and cupped Rei's chin in his hand, forcing her to look at him.

"What was Kanda's reaction today?" he asked softly, his golden eyes probing into her green ones.

"He…er…asked who was picking me up."

"I'm not asking what he said—I'm asking what he _did_."

"I'm…not understanding you."

"What did he look at?" Tyki said patiently. "He checked you out, didn't he?"

Rei's eyes flashed in alarm.

"Oh…shit, yeah, he did look me up and down…but that's not really _checking me out_, that's just…"

"Checking you out," said Tyki pointedly. "And he didn't insult your appearance, did he? Which means…you were presentable. Attractive in his eyes."

"That's a bit of a stretch, Tyki," Rei said doubtfully as he let her go and tossed his keys to the valet.

"Whatever," he said, walking over to her side and opening the door for her. "After you, m'lady."

"Sometimes, I wonder why the paparazzi aren't on our tail, trying to find me…"

"You want them to? And it's because I'm not that well-known in Japan—you were an exception—which also shows how much working with you is going to be beneficial for my image. Of course, if you want to be well-known as well, all we have to do is step into the park and make out intensely. And I assure you, that would be very eye-catching; I'm quite the fantastic kisser, if I may say so myself. But then again, you remember, right?"

"You dolt," she said, blushing as he took her hand and escorted her inside. "So…how did it go with Cross?"

"I don't think anyone suspects you're going to be my partner," he said comfortingly. "Which is good, of course. I'm going to ask him to keep all our personal shoots in private. And for him to shut up on who my partner is."

"Tyki, I can't help but feel…unworthy of this position—"

"Shut up already about that!" he said irritably. "I _chose_ you—Rei, you need to understand that you're very much _worthy_ of working alongside me."

"Tyki…" It was amazing how alluring she could make his name sound.

"Say my name like that again and I'm ravaging you as soon as we get into the room," he said sourly.

She shut up.

Tyki led her into the apartment and shut the door after her.

"Rei," he said suddenly.

She turned around to meet his eyes. Those green orbs…too captivating. He looked away.

"Don't just call my name and look away, idiot," she scowled. "What?"

"Nothing."

Rei arched an eyebrow, her green eyes glinting, perplexed. She then walked slowly up to him, stopping right in front of him. He was suddenly aware of the great disparity in their heights.

"Tyki…"

"I told you that if you kept saying my name like that, I'd end up losing control."

She ignored his warning. "Thank you."

Rei gave a very brief smile and began to walk off; he abruptly reached forward, catching her by the wrist, and leaned forward, desire rising up in his chest like an uncontrollable monster…he wanted to kiss her so badly…

It was Tyki who stopped himself. He could not lose. He needed to make Rei head over heels for _him_, not the other way around. Exhaling slightly, he straightened back up.

"…Lock the door tonight."

"Tyki?"

"I'm going out. I'll be back tomorrow to pick you up for work."

He wanted her to stop him, to reach out, grab him by his wrist and pull him back; he wanted to kiss her, to taste that sweetness that he only got to taste for a short moment on Christmas…

But Rei did not stop him. He heard her sigh very quietly behind him as he opened the door.

"Bye, Tyki."

He smiled as he turned back to her, but his liquid gold eyes did not quite meet the same emotion as his lips dictated.

"Bye."

And he shut the door.

* * *

Tyki arrived the next day at Cross's studio early, for once in his lifetime. He'd dropped Rei off at Ralph Lauren earlier that morning, seeing as it was her last day working for them for her individual shots. She'd done a reasonably good job—a very good job, actually, seeing as she was a rookie. The photographer, though subpar to Marian, was nevertheless rather well-esteemed, and he had commented that there was something about Rei that made her captivating, whether it was her bold eyes, daring aura, or simple flexibility. The biggest problem Rei had was expressing emotions; her smile did not quite reach her eyes (well, honestly, Tyki's didn't either), and her smirk seemed unnatural on her face. It hadn't been hard for her to play it sexy though; Tyki assumed that it was his influence that had caused her to master that particular field easily.

"The Apocalypse must be near," Cross said dryly as Tyki walked in. "For once in your damn life, you're early."

"I have to talk about something with you."

"Oh," the photographer said with a roll of his eyes, "that's why you're early. Always having an ulterior motive…" He spun around in his seat and stood up to face him. "Hang on a moment—WALKER!"

Tyki winced; he had forgotten that the white-haired boy worked here. Well, this was going to be awkward…and what he was about to say would certainly elicit some sort of unwelcome response from the high school assistant…

"Yes?" said Allen, poking his head in the doorway. His face immediately fell upon seeing Tyki. "Oh. G'afternoon, Mikk."

"Hello, boy."

Allen scowled at the degrading address but approached Cross instead.

"Something you need, Shishou?"

"Yeah, clean this up and sort these out," yawned Cross, tossing a file at him. "And tell the others to get the set ready; the shoot starts in half an hour."

Allen nodded and remained in the room, spreading the pictures out over another table. Tyki was aware that he was keenly listening.

"Out, Walker," said Cross.

"No, it's fine," said Tyki soothingly. "I'd rather him hear it now than find out later."

"Find out what?" inquired Allen icily.

Tyki took a deep breath.

"My partner for the photoshoot," he said slowly. "I want it to be Rei."

There was a stunned silence. Allen whipped around.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" he shouted.

Tyki winced again. "No, I'm not."

"SHE'S A NORMAL GIRL!"

"Look, she's obviously not. She was a _bodyguard_—that's nowhere near normal."

"You can't just wrap her up in your world—it's just wrong!"

"She chose it herself. I offered her the choice; she took it."

Allen looked defeated.

"She…said she chose it herself?" he said weakly.

"Yeah. I'm assuming she told you of what happened with Kanda Yuu. Right after the party, she came to me."

"Why not me?" said Allen furiously. "I'm her best friend!"

"You were _at _the party. She needed to get away from it. And you like Lenalee Lee."

Allen blushed. "That's besides the point."

"Well, Rei doesn't like her. So she came to me. Her home base," Tyki said with a wry smile.

"This is all very nice and such," said Cross acidly, "but I'm completely against this. Charming as Rei is, she's a bodyguard, not a model. No experience. You can't just drag a girl in and say she's your partner, Mikk—I'm expecting a lot of you in this shoot, and you can't have a subpar counterpart—"

Tyki cut him off by tossing a manila folder at him.

"The last two weeks, Rei's been working with me," explained Tyki. "The Ralph Lauren shoots. She's been my co-model. And she's not half-bad."

"Seriously?" said Allen faintly, abandoning his work and walking over to Cross to peer at the pictures as well.

Cross laid them out on the desk in front of them. The first picture of the pile was rather eye-catching. Rei was dressed in a loose oxford shirt, the Ralph Lauren insignia apparent above her breast pocket. The first few buttons were popped open, though a tie was wound around her neck. Tyki stood at her left side; Rei's arm was wrapped his neck, her lips open slightly as her emboldened jade eyes looked at the camera. In order to put Rei into prominence, Tyki himself was looking away from the lens, instead staring at Rei herself. He had refrained from telling her that he was looking _down_ on her, and thus could see everything under her open shirt; nice as it was, he kept his sights and thoughts personal in order to avoid getting punched.

"Hm…" pondered Cross aloud, looking through them. "Well, she's gotten quite pretty. She's definitely better than I thought she could be…but I assume you see her faults as well, Mikk. They're quite obvious."

"She can't smile," said Allen shortly. "Rei never has been the smiley-smiley type; she's almost always frowning and such…well, at least naturally. Now that I think about it, she and Kanda were somewhat similar in that aspect…"

"Well, opposites attract and similarities repel," said Tyki in a steely tone. "No matter what you say, Cross, Rei's going to be my partner."

Cross gave a sigh.

"She's not that bad, true, but she might end up dragging you down."

"She'll learn. I'm her…personal coach."

Allen's eyes were so narrowed that they looked like slits.

"Is…Rei living with you?" he said cautiously.

Tyki smirked. "Yes."

"YOU—"

"We're not sleeping together, if that's what you're assuming," chortled Tyki. "No, Rei's quite reserved…and very inexperienced, I might add. I've been kind enough to lay off…"

"Good," Allen said feverishly. "And you better make it stay that way—Rei's not like your other—"

"Chill, boy," said Tyki, golden eyes gleaming. "I know."

"About that inexperienced part…you'll have to change that," said Cross, thinking.

"She's been working for two weeks, Marian," said Tyki exasperatedly. "Of course she's inexperienced."

"I meant about love."

Tyki paused.

"What?"

"Cheesy, cliché, and ridiculous as it sounds, love's the theme I want you three—well, six, now—to portray." Cross pulled a pack of cigarettes out of a drawer and took a stick out. "Damn…don't have a light."

"Here," said Tyki, tossing his own lighter over. "You want us to portray _love_? Seriously, how old-school is that? Definitely not what I expected…"

"Let me finish, all right?" said Cross sourly. "I've never actually shot a set on that theme…and love is multi-faceted. I'm going to have a few subthemes that can be categorized under the overarching idea of love: physical intimacy, desperation, magnetic attraction…stuff like that."

"You're not making a lot of sense," Allen said.

"Shut up, boy."

"No," said Tyki with a dry grin, "you're really not."

"You all are idiots and can't see the genius of my plan. Forget it—I didn't expect you to. We'll wrap up the group shots today, I'll explain the overarching theme to the rest of your colleagues, and we'll start the new shoot in a week. Just know that the first subtheme will be physical intimacy. Discuss it with Rei on what you want to portray it as—wipe that disgusted look off your face, Walker, it's not that big of a deal—"

"Rei's not going to be all touchy-feely in front of everyone, I assure you," he said wryly.

"Which reminds me," said Tyki. "I want Rei and my shoots to be kept private. No onlookers, except for the shooting crew. Nor do I want Bookman or Kanda finding out who my partner is."

Cross's eyes flickered.  
"Is there something more…personal behind all of this?"

"No," lied Tyki smoothly. "Rei's just a newbie—I don't want her getting flustered with everyone looking at her. And I don't want anyone knowing that I've chosen her for my partner—it'll be a surprise."

"Well, that's going to be a bit difficult to arrange," said Cross. "We'll have to have separate shoots and stuff…"

"I'll make it worth your time," promised Tyki.

"Fine," the photographer groaned. "And you better not be half-assed about this, Mikk."

"Of course not," Tyki said with a fleeting smile. "When it comes to Rei, I'm not half-assed about anything."

* * *

"He wants _what?!_" said Rei, shocked, once Tyki finished explaining what had happened earlier that day.

They were in Tyki's Lotus. Night was falling, as Rei's photoshoot had been her last one and there had been a small party afterwards. Tyki had joined in for the last half hour, but once all the champagne was gone, he'd decided to take Rei and leave.

"Jeez, chill," he said, turning into the leftmost lane and speeding up. "It's not a big deal."

"I thought Cross wouldn't do something stupid like love!" she said indignantly.

Tyki chuckled. "Why would you be the one saying that love is stupid? Not when it was the thing that drove you to do all this to begin with…"

"And physical intimacy at that," she moaned, not paying attention to Tyki. "I've only been kissed twice…"

"We can work on that."

"No," she said sharply.

They arrived at his apartment after a few minutes of silence; Tyki handed over his keys and escorted Rei back to their lodging, like always. He didn't speak until they were in the confinements on his home.

"We…should really work on it," he said quietly, leaning against the closed door as Rei took off her heels. "If you do it for the first time in front of the camera, you'll definitely freeze up—"

"No," she said again, her green eyes glinting. "I'm not going to do some practice make-out session, Tyki—"

"Why?"

She sputtered. "Well, obviously, it's because I'm not that kind of person—there are plenty of ways you can display physical intimacy without…_eating_ each other—"

"Eating," he laughed. "Of course. And you're also apprehensive because you don't want to be kissing me."

Rei fell silent.

"Well…obviously," she mumbled, running a finger through her hair. "Because…well, we've kissed before, and—"

"Let me put your feelings into words," he said bluntly, taking a step towards her. "You think you're in love with Kanda—"

"I don't _think_, I _know_—"

"Fine," he said somewhat snappishly. "You _know_ you're in love with Kanda, so kissing me like crazy would leave a bad taste in your mouth, would make you feel like…a two-timer, to put it nicely. In addition, you can't deny that there's some sort of attraction between us—don't shake your head, you idiot, why else would you have come to me, even though we didn't know each other all that well? So if I, being the fantastic kisser I am, were to be kissing you, you're afraid that your…lust would override your emotions, and you'd actually get _in_ to it. Right?"

Rei's cheeks flushed. How quaint…such innocence. He almost felt bad for corrupting it.

"Maybe," she muttered.

"Rei, come with me."

Tyki led her to his bedroom; her eyes watched his every movement warily as he shut the door behind her.

"Don't look at me like that," he said dryly. "I'm not going to do anything. Trust me."

He noticed her shoulders relax as she looked around his room. This was the first time she'd been in it; Tyki liked to follow a "stay out of my room and I'll stay out of yours" policy. He could see her eyes travel to the family photos lining the walls, the occasional paintings, the oaken wardrobes…

"Sit down," he said.

A daring move, really. The only place to sit was on his bed.

Rei scowled and obeyed, sitting down very tentatively at the corner of the mattress.

"Love and lust," he began, not sitting down beside her but instead leaning against the wall, "are two completely different things that are often blended into one conception. Love is, well, what you think you feel for Kanda."

"Again with the 'thinking,'" she said monotonously with feigned boredom.

Tyki rolled his eyes.

"Fine, _know_. Lust, on the other hand, is purely physical. It's when the desire to touch someone, to, putting it blandly, screw someone without having any reservations."

Tyki opened a drawer beside him and unwrapped a new pack of cigarettes. He lit one easily before continuing.

"Models, actors, actresses, they learn to separate lust from love; body over heart. Everything you see on T.V., in pictures…especially with celebrities that aren't a couple, it's real, but it's not true."

"You're making no sense."

"They're kissing—that's real, that's right in front of you, that's unavoidable. They're really kissing, really touching. But the emotions that are between them are nothing compared to what _could_ be felt through making out—they let lust override their emotions; lust controls them, if not for just a few, brief moments, where they feel nothing but physical desire. Of course, that doesn't mean they're in _love_, they're just in lust. By request."

Tyki blew out a breath of smoke, watching Rei as she absorbed all the information sullenly.

"So, what you're saying is that I need to learn how to control and bring lust over love in order to be a good model?" she said finally.

"Pretty much. Even Kanda has that, to some degree, Rei. You watched him shoot with Kate Schrödlich, right? There's nothing for you to worry about. Unnecessary to have qualms."

"Even so…why can't we just do something…equally innocent and powerful?" she said desperately.

"You could," admitted Tyki, "but I can assure you that Kanda and Bookman will be leaning towards the 'innocent and seemingly powerful' type as well, especially Kanda. Bookman, maybe not, but he'll probably do something middle ground. We want to be _different_, Rei."

"But—" she said worriedly.

"You're _that_ against kissing me?"

"Well, it sure would be easier for me," she said edgily. "Besides, Tyki…"

"What?"

"Never mind."

"Just spit it out—I'm not going to get offended."

"Well…all those women you meet with…you don't feel anything but lust for them, right?"

"Are you trying to say that I've never been in love?"

"Well, you sure as hell can't be in love with every woman you meet," she said resentfully.

Tyki sighed, dousing his cigarette in a nearby ashtray and walking a few steps towards her.

"You're right—I don't feel anything but lust for my…nightly appointments," he said. "Even the one last night—right now, I'm simply feeling…apathetic. She's calling me, wanting to see me again. But what's the point? My lust has been satiated."

Rei's eyes narrowed at his bluntness, but she said nothing.

"But just because I'm displaying my lust so frivolously doesn't mean I've never been in love, Rei."

"How many times?" she asked, her voice soft.

"Once," he said with an unrealistic smile.

"…With who?"

"That's a story for another time, Rei."

"…I want to know…"

"I'll tell you if you agree to the practice sessions. Twice a day, each lasting on hour. The shoot starts in a week; neither of us have work until then. Physical intimacy for two hours—the rest of the day will be left strictly to modeling."

He saw her lips move, her tongue moistening her mouth. Tyki felt an insane pool of desire form in his chest, but he controlled himself.

"I…don't know," she said softly.

"Lust over love. You don't have to love me. Kiss me, touch me…you will feel nothing except for lust. Your natural bodily instincts. And I will do nothing inappropriate; we won't have sex, I can guarantee you that."

"All…the same…"

"Do you want to win?" Tyki said quietly, kneeling down before her and bringing a hand up to her cheek.

"Yes…"

"Against Kanda, right? You want to overshadow him—make him jealous, make him realize who you are, your capabilities, correct?"

"Yes."

"Then this should be nothing. Purely work, Rei."

An odd, contorted smirk appeared on her lips.

"Models have those kinds of shoots all the time—it would've just been practice or something similar," she said quietly, as if quoting something.

"…What?"

"Kanda said that to me once…I suppose it's really not a big deal, is it?"

"No," Tyki said encouragingly, though feeling slightly annoyed that Kanda would be popping into her mind, word for word, at the moment.

"…All right."

Tyki grinned and pushed her down on the bed, scooting her over so that her head rested on the pillows. He crawled over her, his legs pressed down at either side of her hips.

"Hm," he mused, pulling out his cell phone. "Well…let's see…it's 10:10 right now…an hour, eh? So let's make it until 11:10…"

"Tyki," she said as Tyki set his phone aside.

"Damn, you need to stop saying my name with whatever you say it with—I'm not going to be able to control myself if you do—"

"…I have a question."

"What is it?" he said patiently, trailing a finger over her lips.

"When you were in love…what happened?"

"…Nothing good."

"Did you…lose?"

Tyki smirked.

"Obviously."

There was a pain in Rei's eyes.

"It was a long time ago, Rei. No need to fret about it."

He leaned closer to her, so close that her emerald eyes were all he could see in his line of vision…

"Tyki…" she said softly again, in that way that made him go insane.

"What?" he answered in a whisper, trying to calm himself down.

"…Are you…in love with me?"

There was a low chuckle forming in the base of his throat. What an arrogant question.

"Don't ask unnecessary questions, dear," he replied, though he badly wanted to answer 'no,' knowing that it was partially a lie. "Let's start."

And his lips met hers.

* * *

"Uh…Kanda-san?" said Reever meekly when the Japanese model entered his apartment.

"Find another bodyguard," he said angrily, sitting down on the couch without another word.

"…You, er…managed to contact Rei-san?"

"Don't even _say_ her name," Kanda said dangerously, his blue eyes flashing. "Just get another damn bodyguard. Better yet, just don't, and let me handle things myself."

"You know that that's not a possibility," said Reever seriously. "Attacks on you have not died down, even though the last two weeks have been virtually attack-less, but all the same…"

"I don't give a damn," said Kanda harshly. "Get another one then. And don't even bother sending _her_ the paycheck."

"Well, we should, seeing as she did save your life a couple of times—"

"What did I say, Reever?!"

"Okay, okay!" Reever said anxiously, crouching away from Kanda's horrible mood. "Well, then, I'm going to be on my way then. I'll be here to pick you up tomorrow morning."

"Fine."

Noticing his dismissal, the manager disappeared as fast as he could, leaving Kanda in his apartment by himself. He let out a sigh, lying down on the couch and massaging his temples. His head hurt…his mind could not stop thinking about the thing he wanted to think about the least—Matsumomo Rei. The way she talked, the way she looked…they constantly echoed in his ears, his eyes…her venomous smile, and her deliberate ignorance of his being there…

Kanda's eyes snapped open. The first thing he saw was the collage in the picture frame that Rei had given him for Christmas. An incredible wave of annoyance and anger washed over him as he saw it, once again reminded of her empty presence, and he reached over, picked it up, and hurled it across the room. It smashed into a wall. He could hear the tinkling of breaking glass, then a thud as the frame itself hit the ground.

He brought a hand up to his head, tired…a few minutes passed, and he started regretting what he'd just done. Stupid thing, really. Why was he acting like an immature fool? It was just a collage…of _himself_, incidentally…

He let out another breath and stood up, walking over to where the shattered frame laid. Picking it up from among the glass gingerly, he flipped it over. Perhaps a bit too quickly, because the back of it suddenly fell off. He scowled. Cheap thing…

He bent down and flipped the back of it over, eyes widening at what he saw.

It was a picture that he hadn't seen before, one of Rei and him. Judging from the poor quality of the photo, it had been taken as a spur-of-the-moment thing, probably on Rei's camera. He was sleeping on her shoulder, his face smoothed out and without his constant scowl. His eyes flickered as he studied Rei's face. She was smiling, brilliantly, really, her eyes winking as she looked up at the camera. Snowflakes were falling down around them, against the unfamiliar setting…she must've taken it that day where he'd fallen asleep on her shoulder at school…

There was a strange feeling in his chest. Like a sharp, jabbing pain. Regret. Sorrow. His blue eyes were fixated on the picture as he thought, thought back to the random banter that they often had, to Christmas night, where he had kissed her almost on a whim but had felt something much stronger than that…to the time where she'd opened the door on New Year's, her green eyes flashing with hurt, with fury, with betrayal. What had happened on New Year's was his fault—he knew that—but he wouldn't, no, couldn't apologize for it, because the fact remained that he was dating Lenalee…

His cell phone rang. Jolted out of his stupor, Kanda picked it up after looking at the caller. Speak of the devil…

"Hey," he said with false normality.

"Hi!" she said excitedly. "Miranda just told me what happened—can I really work with you under Cross?!"

"Yeah," he said, making his way over to the couch again, picture in hand. "The shoot starts in a week, I'll let you know about more of the details later…"

"With Lavi-san and Mikk-san too!" she said cheerfully. "Who are they working with?"

"Mikk was all secretive with his partner, so I have no idea…probably some European chick who's worked with him before. And Bookman's working with Schrödlich."

"How exciting…" he heard her say somewhat whimsically.

Kanda's eyes were still fixated on the little scrap of cardboard in his hand as he sat down on the couch, phone at his ear.

"Say…" said Lenalee suddenly. Simply from the way she said that one word, Kanda's stomach tightened, and he knew the real reason behind her call. He also knew that he didn't want to talk about it.

"What?" he said gruffly.

"…Matsumomo-san…I haven't seen her around lately."

"Oh, her. She quit."

There was a sharp intake of breath. Or a relieved exhale. He couldn't tell.

"…Really? Why?"

"No idea," he said curtly, though he knew very much why.

"…Could it be because of New Year's?" said Lenalee hesitatingly.

"Even if it was, it's none of my business," he said bluntly. "I told her before—if she ever fell in love with me, I'd fire her because I can't stand having a fangirl around—"

"But she's not really the fangirl type, Kanda-kun—"

"Why are you defending her?!" said Kanda angrily.

A pause on the other end of the line.

"I'm not," said Lenalee. "Selfish as this sounds, I'm glad she quit. I didn't really…like the idea of you having another girl around you so constantly…"

"Yeah, whatever," scoffed Kanda. "As if _she_ could attract me in anyway—"

"But didn't you guys kiss?"

It was Kanda who paused this time.

"That was an accident," he lied.

"…Really?" There was skepticism in her voice.

"Yeah. And it doesn't matter anymore, Lenalee. I'm probably never going to see her again—she dropped out of school."

"Really?" This time, there was worry.

"Yeah, she came today to tell your brother that she was leaving. I could tell your brother was pretty worried about it—you should talk to him…"

"Yeah, I will," said Lenalee anxiously. "But wow…that's sudden. Do you know why?"

"Probably because she can't afford to stay there any longer," he said, suddenly remembering that he had told Reever not to send Rei the paycheck. Another twinge of guilt. "I think she's working fulltime at some random fast food chain or something…"

"Oh…" Lenalee's voice was deflated. "I feel…sort of…bad, for some reason."

"What in the world for?"

"I…don't know. Oh!"

Kanda could hear a beeping sound.

"My brother's calling me!" explained Lenalee. "I have to go now."

"Yeah, I'll call you tomorrow."

"Okay," she said merrily. "I'm looking forward to working with you!"

"Me too…"

"Bye, Kanda-kun!"

"Bye."

Kanda hung up, still staring at the picture in his hands. With a long, drawn-out sigh, he set it down across from him on the coffee table. He'd probably never see her again. She had just been a short part of his life—coming in, then leaving. Not a big deal. All his bodyguards did that.

And while he couldn't deny that she really had saved his life more than once, Kanda knew ruefully that as long as he didn't see her again, as long as she _stayed_ out of his life, these strange feelings would go away.

And he'd be left to his quiet life once more.

* * *

**Free Talk**:

So, relatively long chapter, and pretty fast update? :) I hope you guys liked it!

I know there wasn't any Rei and Kanda interaction--I felt like it was necessary to go by a chapter without them snapping at each other. That'll change. Don't worry. This is still a KandaxReixTyki fic. :) And...actually, I just realized, _none_ of this was in Rei's point of view. Most of it was in Tyki's, and the other parts were in Kanda's. I think that'll give you guys a good idea of where each of them stands concerning their relationship with Rei. Tyki has half-admitted that he's in love, but not quite. Kanda, on the other hand, realized that he was at fault for Rei quitting, but being the stubborn, stuck-up guy he is (and we love him for it), he's not going to apologize; he's just going to move on. Of course, he doesn't know that Rei really _hasn't_ walked out of his life, so he's in for a nice surprise. :)

Tyki's still winning on the poll! Which is a bit surprising--most of the people that review are people who are Kanda-supporters. :O And some have come with threats, which do wonders in convincing me with which pairing I should go with...x) Of course, they're jokes...at least...I hope so? Haha. Tyki fans, step it up! Or I shall be forcibly made to write this in KandaxOC, haha~

Please review! :) That'd be greatly, infinitely appreciated. Like...seriously. You guys don't understand how each individual review is so crucially important.

Love, -m.n-


	15. Forever a Guard

**Chapter 15: Forever a Guard**

It was undeniable. Tyki felt _good_.

He was being rather nice though, not going any farther than simply kissing her. Rei's lips were sweet, soft, delicious, and he was enjoying himself thoroughly. Not to mention that that evident inexperience she exhibited made it oh-so-fun to tease her.

They'd been kissing nonstop for a while, and when they finally broke apart, Tyki went for her neck, nuzzling it gently. Rei was breathing harshly, having been cut short on oxygen, much to Tyki's delight. How cute. His hand suddenly slipped under her shirt and up her back. She arched it instantly, again, a sign of her inexperience.

"How…long has it been?" she asked, her cheeks brilliantly flushed under the dim light in the room.

"No idea, sweet," he murmured, biting down on her neck. "No idea."

"It has to have been an hour already—"

"The phone will ring when it has been, dear."

"Check it," she said frantically as he leaned his face closer to hers.

"Dear, don't be so nervous…and checking the time would just waste our precious remaining seconds…"

He slid his lips on hers again, leaning on his side as he cupped her face in his hand, forcing her to stay still.

"Breathe through your nose, darling, that's what it's there for," he grinned as Rei moved her mouth aside for air. "Here…"

His mouth closed over her kiss-bruised lips, deepening the contact, occasionally whispering suggestions as he pressed her body closer to his.

"Don't open your mouth so much," he breathed, gripping her nape tightly. "Let me lead, dear…calm down…"

"Your hand," she said during a brief pause in their mouth-to-mouth contact. "Please…"

"Too much for you?" he sighed, retracting his hand from under her shirt. "Fine, fine…Rei…"

Tyki rolled on top of her forcefully, his entire weight on her body, immobilizing her. He pressed Rei's hands down beside her and found her lips again. When she opened them on her own accord, Tyki abruptly slipped his tongue into her mouth, relishing in the taste. She jerked up spasmodically, knocking into his forehead.

"Damn it, girl," he groaned, rolling off of her and onto the pillows, massaging his head.

"That wasn't necessary!" she said, flaring as she sat up.

"It was a joke…"

"Not a joke, Tyki, not a joke!" Rei said furiously, grabbing a pillow and smacking it into his face.

The cell phone rang suddenly, marking the end of an hour. Tyki moved the pillow away from his face, only to see Rei's expression of relief. It irritated him.

"You disliked it that much?" he said.

"I…it was…different," she admitted. She then fired up. "But the tongue was NOT necessary!"

"It tasted good," he shrugged. "Beautiful lips you have there, Rei."

"Shut up," she said, her cheeks growing crimson.

Tyki sat up, grinning ruefully as he silenced the ringtone.

"You're not that bad," he said comfortingly, running a hand through his hair. "We're just having to progress rather slowly."

"It's not my fault that I've never—"

"Been kissed until I strolled into your boring as hell life," finished Tyki for her. "I suppose that was enough for today; you lasted through the hour well enough."

"…Are they…all going to be like that?" she said hesitatingly.

"They could get much worse, Rei. But we'll start off slow. We have to get you accustomed to it before next week though."

"That'll never happen," she said feverishly, getting off the bed and making her way to the door. She paused at the exit, her olive eyes examining the family photo at the back of his door.

"…Your family's really attractive, Tyki," she noted.

He stood up and approached her from behind, his golden eyes also looking up at the picture.

"We're not all blood-related," he said.

"Really? Looks like it to me…"

"You're only saying that because we're all Portuguese," he said, pointing a finger at his family members. "Cyril, my non-related brother—"

"Really? So you're not related to my mom…sort of…"

"Yeah, Cyril met your mom before…I guess before I was adopted into the family."

He noticed Rei chance a half-glance back at him.

"So…you're not really royalty."

"Nope," he said. "Of course, none of the tabloids know about this. They like to think that my bearing as a prince adds to my appeal. And next, we have dear Road, who actually _is_ my sister."

"She's cute."

"And quite quirky, really," he chuckled, trailing his finger along the glass. "And then the twins, Jasdero and Debitto, who were also adopted but aren't related to me…"

"Weird names," Rei muttered fervently.

"Weird people at that," he chortled. "Ah…and lastly…"

His finger landed on the final figure in the row: a woman. Rei looked at him quizzically.

"Why'd you stop?"

"…Forgot her name for a moment," he grinned.

Rei raised an eyebrow.

"What a horrible family member," she said under her breath.

"I was just kidding. She's Lulubell. Cyril's real sister."

"…She's really pretty."

"She's a pretty famous model in Portugal and Spain; nowhere along the lines of my fame, but decent enough, I suppose."

Rei smirked at his arrogance. "So who's the _real_ royalty?"

"Cyril and Lulu, only. The rest of us are…vagrants. Vagabonds."

The ironic smile that was on Tyki's lips seemed to disturb Rei a bit, for he saw something along the lines of wariness flash through those jade-colored orbs, disappearing as quickly as it came. Her attention turned back to the picture.

"Eh? You skipped one." She pointed to a fat figure behind them all; he was in a strange way noticeable and yet easily passed over.

"Oh, him," Tyki smiled. "There's nothing you really need to know about him. He's just the Earl."

"The…Earl…" said Rei disbelievingly.

"Yep. Just the Earl. Or Duke. Whatever."

"Those are two different ranks…"

"Doesn't matter. He just goes by those."

Rei laughed faintly. "Is it mean if I say your family's odd?"

"Not at all—I think so too."

Tyki reached over and twisted the doorknob, opening the exit for her.

"I think you're a bit tired, sweet. Good work today."

Rei gave him a brief smile.

"Say, I have a request."

"Yes?"

"Can we have practice sessions…not in your room?"

"…Why is that?" he asked.

"Because…strange things happen in bedrooms…er…on beds."

Tyki laughed.

"What, like sex? You can't trust me? Besides, sex can happen anywhere, dear."

Rei frowned, growing pink at his vulgarity.

"Well, I might retain my consciousness better if we're somewhere other than on the bed. And it's not like I don't trust you…"

"Hm. Fine, couch then. Distrustful woman…I'm a gentleman for a reason."

"I do trust you!" she said indignantly. "For example…never mind."

Tyki arched an eyebrow.

"Spit it out."

"You never touched me after the phone rang," she mumbled. "You're conscious of my feelings. I appreciate that. And even if you tease me about my inexperience…when I complained about your hand, you stopped. So I do trust you."

Tyki raised both eyebrows.

"Good for you, you noticed. Well then, a goodnight kiss?"

"No thank you," she said snappishly, blushing again. "Goodnight."

"I'll wake you up tomorrow, sweet, so you can have a bit of a lie-in."

Rei waved in response, her cheeks still pink in the darkness; her profile slipped away into her own room, and the door shut, leaving Tyki alone.

He sighed, reaching into the drawer for another cigarette. He lit it, smoking quietly, his golden eyes lingering on the family photo, studying it, each and every face.

**************

Rei was sprawled on her king-sized mattress, her head buried in her pillows. This life still didn't seem real. She was living with Tyki Mikk. She was a model now. She had quit school. She had quit being Kanda's bodyguard.

Taking a pillow into her arms, she rolled over and stared up at the light. And she got to _kiss_ Tyki. Even if it was just a "practice" session, she was still kissing him…and that in itself was supposed to be…an…honor? That wasn't quite the right word…but for most girls, it probably was. And Tyki was actually nice to her, though she couldn't stand his teasing and flirtatious manners sometimes, and occasionally his golden eyes gleamed in a strange way that sent shivers down Rei's spine…like when he had been staring at the family portrait…

Rei rolled over again, not comfortable. So Tyki wasn't really a prince. He still seemed like one though. And it didn't really matter to Rei. He was still as close and faraway as ever. She brought a finger up to her lips, pressing them gingerly. They were a bit swollen from the intense contact…and his _tongue_…Rei simultaneously scowled and shivered, burying her head in her pillow from embarrassment. That was an act of _violation_! Personal space! _UNNECESSARY!_ But obviously Tyki didn't think so…joke, yeah right…

One week of physical intimacy…and then the shoot. She'd have to do well…Cross was picky; she'd seen that fact exemplified multiple times. And she knew that she was still more of a bodyguard than a model…her scowl deepened. If she wanted to beat Kanda, she'd have to work harder, to be able to let her emotions shine through on her face…

But smiling was hard. She couldn't look at a camera lens and be happy. Nothing really made her happy anymore. She pondered what possibly would.

If Kanda acknowledged her?

But Kanda's acknowledgement wasn't enough. His…affection? Love? Not…really…perhaps…maybe…not…

Rei let out a frustrated groan and rolled over for the umpteenth time, hugging the pillow so hard that had it been a person, he would've been choking from asphyxiation. What did she want from Kanda?! What exactly?!

And she couldn't deny that she would feel _bad_ if somehow she was able to get Kanda's attention…what would happen to Lenalee?

On second thought, perhaps she'd just refrain from thinking about the Chinese model. After all, she was the one who was winning…

And what about…Tyki? A more touchy subject…since Tyki himself had offered all his services to her for a year…and he always went out for "nightly appointments," so he couldn't really be in love with her…

Rei didn't know…

She sighed, finally letting go of the pillow and making her way to the bathroom. She was in the process of brushing her teeth when she abruptly looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her short hair looked…strange, all of a sudden.

Rei rinsed her mouth out and dunked her head in the sink full of water. A terribly inefficient and unhealthy way to wash off makeup…she rubbed her face with a towel, not bothering to actually use the strange oily liquids that Tyki had given her to remove her makeup…

Rei climbed back in bed, exhausted from thinking. An image of bright blue eyes flashed in her mind just as she fell asleep.

**************

"Rise and shine, Rei."

Rei ignored the intruder, knowing it was Tyki, and continued sleeping. Only when she sensed that Tyki was right in front of her did her eyes snap open. His face was surprisingly close to hers.

"Shall we have our first session right now, hopefully to wake you up?" he asked.

Rei scrambled away from him.

"No thanks."

He chuckled, that deep low laugh that seem to bubble at the base of his throat.

"Breakfast is ready," he said, straightening up. "Rei, you should be feeling so honored that _the_ Tyki Mikk is making you breakfast."

"And what does it consist of?" she said, rolling out of the covers and walking to the bathroom. "Cereal and milk?"

"Tsk, no, I actually _made_ stuff. Hurry up or it'll get cold."

Rei shut the door to the bathroom behind her and went to the sink. Her hair was horribly frizzy—a result of cutting it short—and she looked terrible. Oh well.

She took a quick shower, brushed her teeth, and tossed on a sweatshirt and jeans before ruffling her hair through with a towel and going to meet Tyki in the kitchen. Sitting down at the counter, she stared at the meal that Tyki laid before her.

"Are you perfect at _everything_?" she asked with a bit of distaste as she looked at the tasty meal in front of her.

"Pretty much," he said, flashing a grin. "Eat—the eggs are getting stone cold because you took your leisurely time showering."

Rei dug her fork into the scrambled eggs and stuffed it in her mouth; she was starving, as last night's dinner had consisted more of champagne than solid food. She eyed Tyki's plate as he sat across from her.

"And how come you get…_five_ sausages and I only get one?" she said beadily.

"Because I'm a guy, of course. And you could lose some weight."

"I am _not_ fat."

"I didn't say you were," he chuckled. "But by modeling standards, you could still lose a bit more weight."

"I don't particularly care," she said dryly, reaching over and taking one of his fried-to-perfection sausages.

"Dear, you're going to get fat and how in the world are you going to beat Kanda that way?"

"If it's a matter of starving myself to beat Kanda and eating my fill to lose, I think I'll lose," she said wryly.

"And yet you consent to…make-out sessions?"

"Food is more important."

"Than pride?"

"Not really. But I might as well be full if I feel like I'm going to throw up when I'm kissing you."

Tyki leaned over and snatched the plate away from in front of her.

"I think that's enough for breakfast," he said deprecatingly, setting the plate aside.

"What?! I'm supposed to eat well in the morning!"

"Go do your stretches."

"Are you serious?" she groaned.

"Flexibility is crucial in a model."

"I'm still hungry, Tyki!"

"Too bad. Now go stretch."

She glared at him, making a movement to get her plate back, but he simply dumped its contents on his own and tossed the plate in the sink.

"Oh good," he said, "it didn't break."

"Tyki…" she said warningly.

"Stretches, sweet. Oh, fine, you can have one more bite."

She opened her mouth to retort, only to have Tyki stuff a forkful of egg in her mouth. Rei choked for a moment, hacking and coughing, and finally swallowed it.

"Are you trying to _kill_ me?!" she snapped, still coughing slightly.

"No, now go do your stretches. Or I could feed you. Whichever one strikes your fancy."

Letting out a string of unprintable obscenities, Rei stalked into the living room, stopping in front of the glass window that overlooked the city. She placed her hands together and touched her toes, growling all the while. Stupid Tyki…her stomach grumbled. Damn it, she was really hungry…

A pair of hefty dumbbells caught her eye, and she straightened up to reach over and pick them up. Hm…kind of heavy. She checked the number at the side. Twenty pounds? Well, she hadn't worked out for a while, ever since she got into this whole modeling trash business, and this would be more fun than _stretching_…

She did her bicep and arm exercises with the dumbbells, enjoying the nostalgic strain in her shoulders. She'd really have to start hitting the gym again; she didn't want to be out of shape…

Rei was laying on the floor, holding the dumbbells in a fist and pushing them perpendicularly upward when she suddenly felt someone pluck them out of her hands.

"What are you doing?" she inquired as she sat up.

Tyki laid them down behind the sofa.

"Why are you working with such heavy weights?" he asked.

"What, am I supposed to be working with the little measly five pound ones?" she said scathingly.

Tyki arched an eyebrow.

"Yes."

"Those provide no strain on my arms—it's pointless."

"Rei, you have too much muscle. That's not really a fantastic thing for a model…I mean, who's heard of a gorilla woman modeling?"

"I am not a gorilla woman," she growled. "And why does it matter? It's not like I'm bulking up or anything."

"These are for me," he said, patting the dumbbells affectionately. "I'll go get another set for you tomorrow."

"Tyki, those work _perfectly_ fine."

"I don't think so," he smiled.

"Why do I feel like this is part of your vendetta against my being a bodyguard?" she said angrily. "I can stay in shape and not look horrendous, thank you!"

"Rei, you're no longer a bodyguard," said Tyki smoothly. "Please remember that."

Rei once again opened her mouth to retort, but the strange glint in Tyki's eyes made her close it abruptly. There was truth in his words…but Rei knew very well that there was no way her bodyguard side would ever disappear. It was a part of her, after all. It was in her nature to be able to kick ass.

**************

_One week later_

Rei no longer felt like she was suffocating when she kissed Tyki now.

They were on his couch in the living room, Tyki's hand at her thigh as he forced his mouth more onto hers, deepening their kiss. It was no longer a joking process; Rei had to respond properly, with the correct expressions on her face (according to Tyki, since he kept his eyes open strangely enough through the entire process), of serenity, passion, and pleasure, or the session would be "extended."

"Open your eyes a bit," she heard him whisper amongst their kisses.

Her emerald eyes flitted open slightly; she could see his liquid gold orbs in her somewhat bleary vision. One of Tyki's hands was at her shoulder, having pulled down the end of her shirt to expose her bare shoulder, stroking it. It then curled down her back, up her neck, then wrapped itself in her short hair, forcing their kiss to deepen. Rei opened her mouth slightly, repressing a shudder as Tyki's tongue slithered into her mouth.

"Very good," he murmured. "Your response?"

Rei closed her eyes and brought her arms up, entangling them around Tyki's neck, one of her hands in his long curly hair. She was just about to voice aloud that the hour should be over when the cell phone rang. Tyki stopped immediately, like he always did the moment the phone rang, and let go of her.

"Not shabby," he said, reaching over for his phone. "Not bad at all—you've gotten much better. I daresay we're ready for today."

"Tyki, I don't think French kissing is really necessary—"

"We'll see, we'll see," he said airily. "You like it though."

"I do not," she said darkly.

"Mm hm. Well, it's four o'clock. The others should be gone from the studio soon. Let's start off."

Rei stood up after him, running her fingers through her hair. Her bangs fell down messily on either side of her head, not properly parted. Tyki grinned.

"I kind of like it when you look…unrefined at home," he said, pushing her bangs in the proper direction. "Very different from how you look on set. It reminds me more of…well, the old you."

"There is no old me, new me," she said, knocking his hands away and going to retrieve her boots. "It's just made-up me and non-made-up me."

"Not really," he said, putting on his coat. "I guess you haven't realized, but when you're on set, you speak much more sophisticatedly. New Rei, right there. Which is why when you talk normally to me, I feel like I'm the only one who gets to see the original you."

"Tyki, has anyone ever told you that you don't make a lot of sense sometimes?"

He laughed. "Definitely."

He handed Rei her jacket and shut off the lights.

"Well then, let's blow Marian's mind, shall we?"

**************

"And that's good," said Cross finally, straightening up and stretching his arms out.

Kanda gave a thankful sigh. Two hours of nonstop shooting…but Lenalee was a good complement, and it wasn't hard to model with her. Lavi came skipping over to the couple.

"Hola," he said, grinning. "Aw, you guys are in such sweet, innocent _love_—"

"Shut it, rabbit," snarled Kanda.

"Pretty good shots, if you ask me," the British model said happily. "Though Marian's not gonna let us see the results until the day of the gallery…"

"Kate-san gone already?" said Lenalee.

"Yep, she said she had to leave for another shoot. Busy woman," said Lavi fondly. "She said she'd meet up with me tonight though."

Kanda gave him a disgusted look but refrained from saying anything.

"Say," said Lenalee thoughtfully, "where's Mikk-san?"

"I dunno," said Lavi with a shrug. "I heard that he's coming later, and that we have to leave them alone because he wants his shoots to be private. Strange, really…he's always been one to flaunt his abilities."

"Who cares, it just means I don't have to stay here any longer," said Kanda.

"Who's he working with?" said Lenalee curiously.

"Again, no idea." Lavi brought a hand up to his face, thinking. "Hm. He wouldn't tell me when I asked."

"Forget it," said Kanda. "I'm going to leave."

"Oi, you're not in the slightest curious?" said Lavi, surprised.

"Not really. It's probably just someone I don't know."

"Are you leaving too, Lenalee?" questioned Lavi.

"Um…yeah, I guess so. I'm sort of curious, but like Kanda-kun said, I don't think it's anyone whom I'd know."

"I've heard rumors, though," smirked the British model. "That Tyki's got himself a new _bodyguard_."

Kanda stiffened, but his face remained impassive.

"Really," he said, his tone clearly ending the conversation. "Fascinating. I'm leaving."

Lenalee, on the other hand, grew more inquisitive.

"You don't think…it could be Matsumomo-san, could you?" she said, her question directed towards Kanda.

"Even if it were, I don't care. And I don't think Mikk really needs a bodyguard—he prides himself in that fact, so I doubt it. Let's go, Lenalee."

Kanda really hoped that he wouldn't be bumping into Rei in some freak turn of events. This last week, he had been slowly recovering from her absence and had learned to stabilize his life again. He'd hired a new bodyguard—a man in his early twenties—and had been progressing with his work as usual. Of course, the man (Kanda still didn't remember his name) was nowhere along Rei's caliber, but…he had to do.

Lenalee looked hesitant. "Eh, but…"

"You don't seriously want to stay, do you?" said Kanda condescendingly.

At that moment, Cross walked over.

"Oi, you kids. Go away."

"We were just about to," said Lavi cheerfully. "Say hi to Mikk for us."

The British model steered the other two out the door, closing it quietly behind him.

"I thought you wanted to stay," said Lenalee, confused.

"Oh, I am," he replied, a mischievous grin appearing on his lips. "There's a pretty secluded stairway above this room, and if we lean over the edge, we could probably see them. You in for it?"

"No," said Kanda curtly, turning around to leave.

Lenalee caught on to his arms, her brown eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"This seems sort of fun," she said excitedly. "I want to see!"

"Lenalee—"

"It'll be for educational purposes too," she said persuasively. "After all, I really want to see Mikk-san model."

"It's nothing spectacular."

"I dunno," said Lavi in deliberate slowness. "This theme of 'physical intimacy…' I can only imagine what Mikk's going to do."

The redhead laughed at the apparent disgust on Kanda's face and cuffed him lightly on the shoulder.

"C'mon, Yuu-chan," he said, grinning at Kanda's deadly scowl, "even your girlfriend wants to see. Let's go."

Kanda gave a resigned sigh, following his girlfriend and the idiotic rabbit up the steps. What a pointless activity…seeing Mikk was in no way going to brighten up his day.

They arrived on the overlooking patio-like contraption that protruded slightly from the edge of the room. Hidden by wires and other electronic devices, the three models sat down on the steel railing, peering down onto the set.

"They're not here yet…" said Lavi. "Trust Mikk to be late…"

"Oh!" whispered Lenalee. "Looks like they've arrived—the doors have opened."

"Finally!" said Cross's booming voice. "Goodness gracious, you've _got_ to be more punctual, Mikk, I'm not going to work this hard!"

"I wanted to make sure that everyone else was gone," Mikk's accented voice said.

"Tch…though I suppose I can understand why you want to keep this on the down-low, with all the drama involved…hey there."

"I think he's addressing the girl," said Lavi softly, leaning even more over the edge so that his head dangled precipitously. "Damn, still can't see her."

"Drama," said a vaguely familiar female voice. "Of course."

"Well, I'm worn out from all these shoots, so let's hope yours goes by quickly, eh?" said Cross. "I'll rest for a bit as you guys doll up. Walker!"

Kanda could see the noticeable white hair bound across the room.

"Yeah? Oh, hullo, Mikk, hullo—"

Allen's voice faded off.

"Damn it!" said Lavi. "Why don't any of them say her name loudly enough for us to hear?"

"Calm down, Lavi-san," said Lenalee, anxiously peering over. "We'll see her soon enough."

Kanda leaned against the wall, propping his legs up in front of him, bored. Why did the two of them care so much? He wanted to go home…

Twenty minutes passed before they heard Cross speak again.

"Done?" the photographer said.

"Pretty much," said the female again. Kanda frowned. Why did her voice sound so familiar?

"…Ha, Mikk showed me a few of your pictures the other day, from the Ralph Lauren shoots. You've gotten prettier."

"Tch, that's only with the makeup on," said the feminine voice. "Tyki's seen me without it on—he can safely say that I haven't changed a bit."

The way the woman said "Tyki" irked Kanda for some reason. He sat up a bit straighter, his blue eyes piercing as he joined the other two models in peeking.

"She's lying—she's just too modest," said Mikk's voice. "Well then, Marian, shall we begin?"

"By all means."

"Finally," said Lavi. "That woman's voice just seems so…familiar for some reason, and—"

"Holy—" snarled Kanda loudly as they came into view.

Lavi immediately clamped a hand over Kanda's mouth and pulled them back as the inhabitants of the room abruptly looked up at the sound of Kanda's exclamation.

"…Did you hear something?" Tyki said.

"I thought I did too," said his partner. "Hm. Perhaps not."

Kanda shrugged Lavi off and glared at him furiously.

"What the _hell_ is she doing here?!" he demanded fiercely.

"I have no idea," said Lavi, his green eye serious for once. "I mean, I thought she was working _for_ Mikk, not working _with_ him…"

"You knew she was with him?!" said Kanda, struggling to keep his voice low.

"I saw them a week ago—he picked her up from school," said Lavi. "That's all I know though…and I sure as hell didn't think she was going to be a model…but let's keep it down—we don't want to disturb their shoot. Questions and exclamations can come later, Kanda," he added sternly, noting Kanda's open mouth as he was preparing to yell.

Kanda gritted his teeth as Lenalee simply stared at the figures below. Matsumomo Rei. It looked like she wasn't going to be getting out of his life anytime soon.

**************

The hour passed smoothly, despite the fact that Kanda nearly bolted up and chucked the nearest steel pole at Tyki when he saw the two of them begin their "physical intimacy." Lavi had stopped him, much to Kanda's dismay, for he was feeling nothing but the extreme murderous intent to obliterate Tyki to the ends of the earth.

"You should've known that Mikk was going to do something like this," said Lavi severely. "It's _Mikk_ after all."

"But I sure didn't think Matsumomo-san was that kind of person," said Lenalee, who was blushing slightly as the figures below continued their activities.

"Mikk probably roped her into doing it," said Lavi dryly, resting his head on the pole in front of him. He was the least perturbed out of all of them. "She seems pretty good at it though…oh, there goes the shirt…"

"I think I'm going to puke," snapped Kanda, turning his eyes away from the scene.

"Please don't," said Lavi humorlessly. "That'd definitely give us away."

"If you think I'm just going to sit here and watch them make the fuck out—"

"Too bad," said Lavi calmly. "If you open the door, they'll hear and then they'll murder us."

"They're going to find out anyway, I'm going to—"

Kanda punched the air, not finding the proper words to describe what he was going to do to Mikk, or Rei, or both of them, for that matter, after the shoot was finished. He missed, however, and ended up punching the railing right in front of him, causing a sharp, reverberating sound to fill the still air.

The three of them froze.

**************

Rei heard something break through the air and immediately detached herself from Tyki. He didn't say anything and let her down, his golden eyes also scanning the room.

"There's someone there," he said coldly. "Rei—"

Rei did not wait for Tyki to finish the sentence. She dove for the belt that she'd cast aside before the shoot started and withdrew her pistol, cocking it in one swift motion and pulling the trigger in the direction that she'd heard the sound.

"MOTHER FUCKER—" shouted a familiar voice with a British accent, though Rei couldn't quite put her finger on who it sounded like…

There was much scuffling from the second story and the sound of a door suddenly being opened. Rei bolted for the exit, aiming for the staircase that perhaps led up to where the watchers were, only to be caught by Tyki.

"Button up your shirt, I can see—"

"Does it really matter?! There are people attacking us!"

She broke out of Tyki's grasp and headed for the door, suddenly stopped by an innocent looking man in black. Not one to be deceived by looks, she pointed her gun at his face.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"Hey, don't point that thing at me—"

The man made a movement to grab her wrist and flick the gun away; Rei blocked it and swept her leg up, kicking him behind the knees and causing him to fall. She pressed him to the ground, the barrel of her gun digging into his temple.

"Who are you?" she said again, her eyes flashing.

Cross, Tyki, and Allen ran over to her.

"Whoa, let it up, Rei," said Allen frantically. "That's Kanda's bodyguard."

"I'm—" she snarled, then stopped. "Oh wait…no, I'm not. Kanda?" Her attention turned to the man she was sitting on. "Kanda's here?"

"Y-yes, he went upstairs with Bookman-san and Lee-san," said the bodyguard, eying Rei's gun apprehensively. "Uh…"

There was the sound of footsteps, and the door to the studio swung open.

**************

"WHAT THE HELL, REI?!" bellowed Lavi, rushing at her and knocking her onto the ground.

"Get off of me, Bookman!" she snarled, kneeing up at him and forcing him to get off.

"YOU COULDN'T THINK FOR A SPLIT SECOND THAT YOU COULD'VE KILLED SOMEONE WITH THAT SHOT OF YOURS?!"

"You could've said something!" she said defensively as Tyki helped her stand.

"SAID SOMETHING?! YOUR BULLET GRAZED MY EAR, _GRAZED MY EAR, REI_, I COULD'VE DIED!!!"

"I thought I told you and everyone that these shoots were private," said Tyki, finally speaking.

Everyone stopped and stared at him. His voice was lined with unspeakable fury as his liquid gold eyes flashed with intense anger and slight…desire to hurt someone. Tyki felt Rei wince in his arms as she looked up at him.

"So tell me," Tyki continued, hands leaning over to Rei's chest and buttoning up her blouse, his eyes gleaming with uncontained ferocity, "what the hell you, Lee, and Kanda are doing here after I specifically asked for this shoot to remain closed."

A deadly silence ensued. Tyki's arms remained around Rei's waist protectively as his glinting golden eyes traveled from Lavi, to Lenalee, to the no-name bodyguard, and finally…to Kanda.

Cross abruptly cleared his throat.

"It is Mikk's, and Rei's for that matter, right to shoot in private," said the photographer strictly. "What exactly drove you to violate that right?"

"We…" said Lenalee faintly, "we were just curious…"

Kanda was glaring furiously at Tyki, his eyes flickering to Rei's still profile in his arms. She was still holding her gun tightly in her hand. She seemed to be avoiding Kanda's eyes.

"Eh…" she finally said, "er…you guys…were watching the whole time?"

"…Yes?" said Lavi, having calmed down after narrowly missing death and was now looking somewhat sheepish and apologetic.

Rei's face went crimson. Not just crimson. Beet red. _Beet red_.

Tyki sighed, sensing her intense embarrassment, and brought a hand up to Rei's face, covering it.

"Bookman," he said, his voice still lethal.

"Er…yes?"

"I'm assuming you were the one who brought this ridiculous idea up," Tyki said. "After I specifically told you not to tell Kanda that Rei was working for me—"

"Hey, I thought she was your bodyguard, not your model!"

"The entire point was to make sure that Rei didn't _meet_ him," he said dangerously, his eyes traveling back to Kanda again. "Thanks for fucking that plan up."

Cross was looking positively alarmed at the amount of animosity that Tyki was emitting.

"Hey, Mikk," the older man said. "Don't be so…antagonistic. What's done is done, and I'm sure their intentions were originally harmless, so…and the shoot was excellent, for that matter…we're done."

"Yeah," said Allen weakly, eyes swiveling from Kanda's face to Tyki's. "Um, Rei, do you want to go, uh…wash up or something?"

"I want a word with her," said Kanda.

Everyone turned to face him. Tyki pressed his hand over Rei's face, blocking Kanda from view.

"Tyki!" she said, the flush from her cheeks having died down a bit. "I'm fine."

"You want to talk to him?"

"No," she said defiantly, "but I do want to talk to his new bodyguard."

Tyki, surprised, finally let her go. Rei walked over to the weak-looking man who was standing in the corner. Propping her hands on her hips, she cocked her head to one side and spoke.

"Name?" she said in a professional tone. It was surprising how scared the man looked. Rei only came up to his shoulder.

"T-Takahashi Hiro."

"And you've been Kanda's bodyguard for how long?"

"A week."

"Right," Rei said, apparently thinking about something.

She then suddenly swung her arm back, hand clenched into a fist, and punched the wall behind Takahashi's ear so violently that Tyki could've sworn he saw a dent in the wall.

Rei looked furious.

"You didn't respond!" she said.

"R-respond?" said the man, confused and obviously alarmed at the violence in her.

"What kind of bodyguard are you?! I was _shooting at your employer!_ How did you not respond in any way?!"

"I-I had no idea!"

"Go train!" she said, punching him in the stomach. The man doubled over, groaning and clutching his stomach. "Geez, making such a bad name for bodyguards…"

"That's enough," said Kanda icily. "A word, if you will."

Rei spun around and met his eyes, the innocent blush that was at her cheeks gone and replaced by a pallor and determination that Tyki had seen the night she'd signed the deal. He felt a bristle of annoyance.

"Fine," said Rei, her eyes flitting over and meeting Tyki's.

The Portuguese man nodded curtly. Just this once.

Kanda grabbed Rei by the wrist and dragged her further into the studio, back where the shoot had been, next to a large window that was as big as the wall. Light shone down in the studio through the huge glass, where Tyki could see the rooftops of others buildings through. But his eyes were simply glued on Rei, and he could not help but feel…anxious.

**************

"Explain," said Kanda once the two of them were out of earshot.

"I'm working with Tyki now," said Rei serenely. "It's been going on for three weeks. Anything else?"

"You…you said you were working at some burger joint—"

"That's what I wanted you to believe—"

Uh oh, her inner bitch was resurfacing…

"You couldn't even tell me the truth?!" said Kanda.

"No," she said bluntly.

He paused at her candor, then switched tactics.

"And don't go bullying my bodyguard—"

"I'm just bullying him now, you can bully him later," said Rei drily. "After all, that's just what you are, a big fat bully—"

"Shut up, you…and you're just kissing Mikk like that, like some slut—"

Rei could feel her cheeks heat up.

"Shut up!" she snarled. "That is _none_ of your business, and it's work, thank you very much, and don't go calling me disgusting names like that when you were making the fuck out with—"

There was an earsplitting noise, the sound that occurred when ice cracked, or when a high-speeding bullet hit…glass…

Rei instinctively pulled Kanda down, shielding his body with her own as the window beside them shattered into a million little pieces of glass.

* * *

**Free Talk**:

Whew, quite a long chapter and relatively fast update, I think? I felt bad that my Author's Note was a chapter and probably got a bunch of you thinking that it was a real update...sorry about that, and thanks to all who replied! :)

A lot of things happened in this chapter...haha, I bet some of you were grateful that I didn't do a cliffhanger on when Kanda met Rei again, but then, oops, I left you with another cliffie, even though it's rather random. It'll make sense in the next chapter though.

Ughhh, three "real" updates in the last week. I've been a typing maniac--I've updated every single one of my fics over the last week, Ace of Spades twice and Diamonds in Wine now three times. And because of them, I haven't gotten any farther on my college apps...=.=;; I've said this so many times to myself: If I fail school, it's because of this.

So the poll closes tomorrow at whatever point I wake up, so if you haven't voted, please do. And I think that's it!

Thanks for reading, and please review. : ) You know they make me so happy. And you know you want to. XD

Again, thanks. Love, -m.n.-


	16. Cornered Choice

**Chapter 16: Cornered Choice**

Tyki had been watching Rei and Kanda very intently as they conversed. But the moment the window exploded, the instant he'd heard the piercing sound of shattering glass, he'd stopped caring about exactly what Rei had been talking about and instead set straight towards them, his voice lost amidst the screaming of the others. He had called out Rei's name, but she hadn't seemed to hear.

Rei moved with almost inhuman speed and reflex, pulling Kanda down in front of her and blocking his upper body with her own as the glass cut as quickly and effectively as sharpened knives into her back. She led out a pained cry as jagged pieces lodged into her back. Crimson began to blossom over her white blouse, and the two of them fell on to the ground.

Damn the room for being so large. Tyki couldn't get there fast enough.

Rei, with that little bodyguard instinct of hers, staggered up almost immediately after contacting the floor, half-dragging a stunned Kanda up out of the way of the now gaping window, seeming to want to get them out of the extreme exposure. Tyki was finally getting closer to them.

Rei fell slightly, her face screwed up in pain, and much to Tyki's dismay, it was Kanda who caught her.

"Get an ambulance," Kanda said with surprising calm, his blue eyes scanning Rei's face with alarm. "Now."

"I called," Lavi called frenetically from across the room, also making his way to them. "They're on their way. Get out of the window's way—if they shoot again—"

"Rei," said Tyki breathlessly, reaching her and grabbing her from Kanda's arms. She winced at the contact. "Rei, are you—?"

"Map," she said, breathing harshly as she nearly collapsed against Tyki's chest. "Map of all buildings…surrounding this area…forty-five degree angle from above—"

"You shouldn't be thinking about that!" Tyki said almost frantically. "Your back—shit—"

Rei's eyes were fluttering shut from the effort it took to stay conscious. Tyki shifted her weight so that she was leaning completely on him.

"Get her to the entrance," said Kanda, stalking quickly away from the window and towards the more concealed parts of the room.

Tyki abruptly noticed that the Japanese model was not unscathed either; his face was marred by a few scratches, and his shoulder seemed to have been cut as well. Tyki decided not to care, for all he was feeling was a vindictive sort of elation about Kanda's injuries, and instead returned his attention to Rei. Handling her carefully, he shifted her so that he was carrying her bridal style without stressing her back.

"Rei!" Allen said, rushing towards them.

"The ambulance is here," said Lavi, his green eye whirling around as he absorbed everything that was going on. "Get her downstairs—she needs attention, you too, Kanda—"

Lenalee, joining the crowd, brought a hand up to Kanda's bleeding cheek. He simply shook his head, indicating that he was fine. His eyes were still glued to Rei's cringing profile.

Tyki brushed past everyone without another word and descended the stairs as swiftly as possible, meeting paramedics halfway up the staircase. They started jabbering away in Japanese, and though the Portuguese model had been picking up a bit of the foreign language, he was still unable to comprehend the language spoken at a native pace, and simply continued his descent down the stairwell.

"Mikk!" called Kanda, following him closely. "They say that the ambulance is in the front."

"Yeah, common sense dictates that I follow the pathway to the only exit," snapped Tyki, pushing the door open. He was greeted by a train of ambulances and police cars. Another pair of paramedics rushed up to him, and before he could open his mouth to speak, one of them intervened, thankfully in English upon seeing his foreign complexion.

"Sir, we will take the lady—"

A cart was pushed up to them, and Tyki placed Rei reluctantly down on the bed. Seeing that her wounds were on her back, the nurse shifted Rei's body so that her back was facing up.

"The hospital is about twenty minutes away, we will treat her on the way—and I'm afraid that you will not be allowed to ride with us—only family members—"

"She doesn't have any—let me ride with her—"

"I'll ride," said Kanda's voice from behind.

The nurse seemed to unconsciously blush upon realizing that it was _the_ Kanda Yuu speaking to her. Tyki could not help but feel a wave of annoyance.

"But—" she stammered.

"I'm wounded—I need direct medical attention, and it'll be a hell lot easier if we get this procession out of the way before the paparazzi comes—"

"Fine," said the nurse, flustered. "Please get in the car."

Rei was already being pushed into the ambulance; Tyki could see that her consciousness was no longer consistently with her. Feeling another wave of irritation, he again persisted in convincing the nurse to let him ride with her.

"She doesn't have any family—I'm the closest thing she has—"

"Sir, I'm afraid that we can't—"

"Does a fucking boyfriend count for anything?"

Tyki could see Kanda's eyes flicker at the assertion, but the Japanese model didn't say anything, instead climbing in alongside the bed that Rei was lying on. A paramedic began to attend to them.

"I-I'm sorry—" said the nurse.

Tyki swore loudly, turning around and not bothering to finish the conversation. He headed back into the building, intending to get to the garage and drive his Lotus to the hospital. He bumped into Allen, Lavi, Lenalee, and Cross as they scurried to the exits.

"Know the hospital?" Tyki demanded without preamble, jingling his car keys in his hand.

Allen nodded, already understanding and falling into step with him.

"Then let's go."

* * *

Rei had surprisingly never been exposed to much pain. Ever. Despite her training as a bodyguard, she'd never retained a gun wound, never broken a leg…hell, the most intense pain she'd been in ever was the time when her dad had whacked a newspaper over her head for being "stupid."

So excruciating pain, intense and concentrated, burning in her back was not a good thing. Her head spun as she realized she couldn't deal with the throbbing discomfort along her spine. She could feel the blood stain her shirt, clinging it to her skin, and she found that it was increasingly hard to stay conscious.

She was slightly aware of her surroundings. Her face was buried in a pillow that smelled of disinfectant. She could feel her body jerk around occasionally as the vehicle she was in moved and turned around a corner. Someone was around her, speaking. She could vaguely make out the sentences.

"Miss," said a woman anxiously, "I'm going to have to remove your blouse, could you please sit up?"

Rei didn't answer. Her brain wasn't working properly as her senses could only take in the tastes and smells of disinfectant and blood. Seeing that there was no answer, the woman lifted her up and turned her around to face her. Rei's eyes snapped open as she felt someone begin to unbutton her blouse.

"How are you feeling?" the nurse asked, meeting Rei's green eyes with a bit of curiosity. "We're going to try and stitch up your back after giving you some morphine to dull the pain."

"I think I'm going to throw up," said Rei, her vision blurring.

"Here." The paramedic placed a tin bucket in front of her. "We'll be in the hospital very soon, but it'll be best if we treat you on the way. If you could shrug off your blouse—"

Rei jerkily removed the blouse from her shoulders, leaving her torso clad with nothing but her bra, and the nurse moved a bit behind Rei to treat the wounds.

Someone—a male—cleared his throat.

Rei, jolted out of her lethargy, turned around to find the source of the sound. Kanda was staring determinedly up at the ceiling as another paramedic treated his shoulder. His shirt was half-off, exposing most of his bare chest.

"WHY AM I IN THE SAME CAR AS HIM?!" said Rei loudly and frantically, turning away and facing the wall. A definite blush was creeping up to her cheeks.

"He insisted on being in the same car—" explained the nurse.

"I did not _insist_," said Kanda shortly. "It was for facilitation reasons. And it doesn't really matter, Matsumomo, seeing as your body is nothing worth looking at—"

The nurse abruptly pulled a shard of glass from Rei's skin. She gave a small scream, her head whirling in nausea. She coughed; her spasm resulted in her regurgitation in the pail.

"Some water, dear?" said the nurse gently, handing her a bottle of cold water. "We're very close to the hospital, where we can give you numbing medicine, I'm sorry if that was painful—"

"Can I lie down?" she said faintly, growing lightheaded.

The nurse nodded sympathetically. "Go ahead."

Rei lied down on the bed, ignoring Kanda's presence because it wasn't dreadfully important at the moment, and buried her head in the middle. After her momentary burst of energy, her body seemed to lapse back into a state of sluggishness. She could hear Kanda's voice in the back of her mind, a voice that annoyed her incessantly and yet could still cause her heart to beat a bit faster…why she had reacted so suddenly was beyond her…and so she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Murmuring, the sound of a chair being pushed back, its steel legs causing a grating sound to echo in the room. A deep timbre, its sound lilted with a foreign accent…Rei's mind could hardly put a coherent sentence together, and yet for some reason, the voice seemed very familiar…

She opened her green eyes wearily. Her face was in a pillow. Her back stung slightly. She was uncomfortable.

Rei stirred, trying to roll over when a strong hand caught her shoulder, easing her into a sitting position and turning her around to face the room. It was clean, sterile, with the clear glass walls. She looked down at her attire; it was the odd, bulky patient clothing. The first things she thought of was House.

"Where's House?" she said groggily. "Do I have MS?"

A deep chuckle, lined with relief, and Rei looked up to see Tyki's godly beautiful face. What a sight for sore eyes…

"Well, I was going to ask for Wilson instead, seeing as he's handsome…" said Rei with tired humor. "But you're just as good, Tyki…"

"Just as good? You do me injustice," he smiled, tousling her hair. "I'm _much_ better looking." He looked in her eyes. "You feeling all right?"

"Tired…"

"In pain?"

"Just a bit…my back sort of hurts…"

"Twenty-one stitches…three long gashes, the longest of which was three inches long…and then a few smaller ones as well. It'd be strange if you didn't hurt." Tyki strangely took her hand in his. She shot him a quizzical look.

"I was worried," he explained. "Stupid woman didn't even let me come and ride in the ambulance with you…even though I said I was your boyfriend."

Rei gave him an ugly look that was supposed to be a glare but came out more as a weary sigh.

"Tyki…you're being ridiculous…"

"Hey, I thought _I_ should at least get to ride in the ambulance if _Kanda_ did as well!"

Memories started to flow back in Rei's mind. The ambulance ride…Kanda…

"Kanda," she said slowly, bringing a hand up to her forehead, "is he all right?"

Tyki pursed his lips, seemingly upset that she had brought him up.

"He's fine," he said curtly. "Just needed a band-aid on his face and four stitches in his shoulder. He's not hurt at all."

"Thank goodness," Rei said, relieved.

She noticed Tyki's expression darken.

"…Why did you do that?" he asked.

"Do what?" she said beatifically, though she knew what Tyki was talking about.

"Jump in front of him. Protect him."

"…It was reflex."

"But why?!" he said almost angrily. "He's not your employer anymore, Rei, there was no need—"

"He's a model," said Rei simply. "I just felt that I needed to protect his body, you know, for the sake of all the girls in Japan—"

"_You're_ a model—take care of yourself first before taking care of others!"

A silence ensued. Rei shifted uncomfortably on the mattress. Her instinct had taken over the moment she'd heard the glass shatter, and all that had gone through her head was to protect Kanda at the moment. She rubbed her forehead a bit harder. And in the ambulance…hadn't Kanda been annoying? Insulting? Why was she…

"The cuts on your back," said Tyki briskly, "they'll leave scars."

"Ah…"

"That'll get in the way of your modeling. Those scars…if you wear a bathing suit, if you do a nude shoot, or if we have another "intimate" shoot like today…"

"Well…" said Rei timorously, "at least we got it done today?"

Tyki sent her a glare that could rival Kanda's. She winced reflexively, feeling guilty.

"Why does it seem like I'm unable to expunge the bodyguard out of your system?" he said irritably. "After everything I've tried…I've gotten you to model, to dress up, to use make up…that bodyguard just doesn't go away, does it?"

"It's been with me for seventeen years, Tyki…you can't just destroy it like that. I don't see a need to, really—"

"There's obviously a need to if you're going to go jumping in front of Kanda every single time someone is shooting at him," Tyki said severely.

Another silence followed.

"I'll watch myself better," said Rei finally. "…Sorry, Tyki."

"I'm not saying…that I hate that side of you," said Tyki, resting his head down on the mattress. "It's what attracted me to you in the first place…your eyes just speak when you fight. If only you could convey that on a set…you don't know how captivating that'd be. It's just that I don't want to see it directed to Kanda…"

"Tyki, you confuse me sometimes," she said, leaning back on the pillows. She jerked up as the contact caused her stitches to recede into her back, grimacing.

"You don't want to lean back," he said, holding her up by the shoulders. "Though I assure you, if you lean back on my chest, you'll feel better."

"Shut up…"

"Here." Tyki situated himself behind her, pulling her back so that her shoulders leaned gingerly on his chest, thus putting no pressure on her back. His tan arm curled around her waist almost customarily.

"Like I said," she said, breathing in the scents of his cologne, "you confuse me so much…"

"What confuses you?"

"You said that you wouldn't get in the way…you would do everything you could to make Kanda acknowledge me. But so far, all you've been doing is…hating me for being a bodyguard, and just using me as a tool for vengeful satisfaction, and—"

"You're portraying me much too cruelly," he said, his tone lined with hardness.

"…I suppose I am," she said wearily. "You're much kinder than I would've expected…"

"And now you're portraying me much too nicely. Rei," said Tyki dryly. "I'm human. I get jealous. I have ulterior motives. I dislike people. But at the same time, I _like_ people. You can be assured, Rei, that you are one of the few that I can tolerate."

"So strange…"

She was growing tired again. Slumber was trying to claim her.

The door slid open, and in walked Lavi, Allen, and Cross. Allen rushed over to her bedside while Lavi gave her a wry grin.

"You look mighty pale and cold, Rei-chan," the British model said. "But looks like Mikk there can warm you up a bit."

"Are you okay?" said Allen anxiously, bringing a hand up and feeling her forehead. Rei was under the vague impression that he wanted to ignore the fact that Tyki was so close to her. "That was the scariest shit that I've ever seen in my life…it's a miracle you're alive. How bad are your injuries?"

"Twenty-one stitches," answered Tyki in her place. "There are three rather large and prominent gashes that will most likely leave…marks."

"Yeah, well, at least you're alive," said Cross, relief claiming his foreign countenance. "How do you feel?"

"Tired," answered Rei. "I think they drugged me."

"Just a bit," said Tyki, "to make sure that the pain would be dulled…"

"It's natural to feel a bit sleepy," said Lavi. "Uh, I know this probably sounds misplaced, but Mikk, we really shouldn't hang out here any longer than necessary…"

"This is definitely necessary," said Tyki pointedly.

"Mikk," said Cross sternly, "Rei will be fine. You can't deny the fact that the paparazzi have already started swarming all around the hospital. Word has it that Kanda's being held here…and if you and Bookman are found here, that's going to point attention to Rei if you stay around here, and I don't think she'd appreciate having her face on the news tonight."

"No, I wouldn't," she agreed. "I'm fine, Tyki…you can go home."

"I think I'll ask the nurse if I can stay here tonight," said Tyki, obviously ignoring them.

"Tyki," said Rei strictly.

"What's Lee doing?" he asked Lavi, feigning deafness to Rei's voice.

"She's…in Kanda's room," said Lavi, a bit taken back with the question.

"Is she staying here?" said Tyki.

"I have no idea," replied the British model.

"She's going to stay until visiting hours end," said Allen. "I think she asked the nurse if she could stay, but they say only family members can stay, and only if the patients are in the ICU, which Rei isn't."

"I'm fine, Tyki," said Rei reassuringly as Tyki's hand tensed up around her waist. "And Cross-san's right. You don't want to cause a scandal."

Tyki let out a low growl, but it seemed that he had finally grudgingly given in. As if on cue, the nurse knocked on the door and entered.

"Um…sirs," she said, blushing as her eyes travelled to the faces of the handsome males. "Visiting hours are over, I'm afraid…and the paparazzi are all over downtown. You should leave as soon as you can."

Tyki sighed, letting Rei down against some pillows gently and standing up. His liquid gold eyes shimmered.

"I'm fine," said Rei for the umpteenth time. "Call me when you get back home, okay? Just to make sure that the paparazzi haven't run you over…"

"You two talk like a married couple," grinned Lavi. "You guys dating?"

"No," said Rei.

"Of course not," murmured Lavi. "Mikk _never_ dates…"

"Shut up, Bookman, before I make you," said Tyki in a deadly tone, grabbing his jacket from the back of the chair. "I still have to yell at you for revealing the shoot to Kanda…"

"Sorry about that," said Lavi weakly.

The four of them prepared to leave. Rei gave a faint smile to Tyki as he turned around to look at her one more time before he exited.

"…Jeez, Tyki…" she said softly. "You worry so much."

A twisted smile rose to his lips.

"I suppose I do."

"Call me."

"Will do." He gave a wave as he left. "Get well. Oh, and good work today…I'll see you tomorrow."

The door shut with a clack, and Rei was left alone in the room. Sleepiness claimed her mind, and sinking back on the pillows without paying any mind to the irritation it'd pose to her injuries, she fell into slumber.

* * *

When Rei woke up, it was dark already. She glanced at the ticking clock on the wall. Ten thirty p.m. Her back throbbed with a burning sensation now that the morphine had worn off. A headache now crept into her list of symptoms, and with a rueful smile as she wondered whether she'd enumerate her systems and diagnose some other disease in her, she stood up, tired and at the same time wide awake. She doubted if she could fall asleep again.

She slipped into her hospital slippers and made her way to the door. No point in staying by herself in a creepy hospital room. Her purse was laying on the table close to the door; Tyki must have brought it in earlier. She dug into it and withdrew her cell phone, checking the call history. Two missed calls from Tyki, one voicemail.

Rei listened to the voicemail as she slid open her door, squinting at the sudden brightness of the hallway lights, and began meandering down the corridor. Tyki's voice, soothing and deep in its Portuguese accent, reverberated by her ear.

"Hello, sweet," he said with his customary greeting. "I'm guessing you fell asleep. This is just to say that I'm back home in one piece and that the paparazzi haven't killed me. I dropped the others off at their respective houses because I'm such a gentleman, though your little Walker friend seemed to harbor such animosity towards me that I wanted to chuck him out on the streets—"

Rei smiled, shaking her head, knowing how much Allen hated Tyki for no apparent reason.

"—but I was kind enough to leave him in the vicinity of his home. The drug that they administered to you will most likely wear off after a while…if you feel up to it, call me back. Or text me, if you're too tired to talk. I'll be at the hospital tomorrow morning, so expect me then."

Here, Tyki let out a sigh.

"About our conversation earlier…before we were so rudely interrupted…I suppose I'm not really holding up my end of the deal. You're right, I did say I'd leave you alone for a year, that I'd help out…so here." She could imagine the wry, twisted smirk that he always had whenever he was doing something against his will, or whenever he was annoyed. "Kanda's room number is 359. You can go check up on him and beg for his gratitude." He gave a throaty laugh. "Call me back. Bye."

The message ended there, and Rei found that she'd reached the end of the hallway. She dialed Tyki's number back, turning down the corner and walking quietly. Surprisingly, no one was there. Given the late hour, she guessed that not a lot of nurses were employed in the ward for "not-endangered people."

Tyki picked up on the fourth ring.

"Hello, sleeping beauty," he said.

"Hello."

"How are you feeling?"

"Better. Still tired. My back hurts a bit more but it's not unbearable."

"Poor child," said Tyki.

"Don't call me child, Tyki…you're not much older than I am."

"I'm twenty-one, darling."

"Are you really?" mused Rei. "No wonder you're so mature."

"Now that's a bit of an overstatement. So have you seen your blue-eyed snob of a prince yet?"

"I can sense a bit of venom in your voice there, Tyki," she said, approaching a set of vending machines. "And no, I haven't."

"…I suppose I'm allowed to say 'good,' right?" he said a bit sarcastically.

"You don't have to help, Tyki," she said calmly, stopping in front of the vending machines. "What should I get, green or red tea?"

"Green. It's better for your health."

"I think I want red," she said, inserting an a hundred yen coin in the slot. "Red tastes better."

"If you were going to decide by yourself, then you shouldn't have asked to begin with. Though I suppose it's good that you're not eating this late at night. That'd be even worse."

"I think all you models are such health freaks," she remarked as she got her steaming cup of red tea. "It's unnatural. Kanda was like that too."

"Why does every conversation turn back to him?" said Tyki icily.

"Sorry," said Rei, turning around, eyes on her tea. "Let's just drop it…"

She heard Tyki exhale.

"Well, I'm a bit exhausted from all the driving, the work, and the events of today," he said. "I'm going to turn in for tonight."

"No nightly appointment tonight?" she inquired, keeping her tone light.

"…Rei, don't push me."

"…Sorry," she said, closing her eyes. "I suppose I'm just a bit annoyed about Kanda…"

She looked up abruptly, sensing someone in front of her. Blue eyes. It was Kanda.

Tyki was speaking again, but Rei's eyes were simply fixated on Kanda's face.

"Again, the turn of conversation," said Tyki, the aggravation in his voice now apparent. "Forget it, I don't really want to argue."

"Tyki," said Rei, tearing her eyes away from Kanda's pulchritude at the sound of Tyki's annoyance. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

She made a movement to walk past Kanda, but the Japanese model caught her by the shoulder, keeping her in place. It was an awkward position, Kanda's arm across her collarbones, holding her still.

"It's fine…" said Tyki resignedly. "Well, I'm going to go."

"Okay…bye, Tyki."

"Allow me to say something."

"…Yes?"

"I miss the taste of your lips."

Rei paused, temporarily forgetting that Kanda was right beside her as she replayed Tyki's queer statement in her head. She suddenly burst out laughing, grateful that he had managed to remedy the tension between the two of them before the conversation ended.

"That is the most _ridiculous_ statement that I've ever heard—"

"Hey, don't toy around with my feelings!" said Tyki in mock distress. "Goodnight, dear."

"Goodnight."

Tyki hung up, leaving the dull tones in Rei's ear. She snapped her phone shut, dropping back into reality. Strange sight, really. She could hear her heart thumping traitorously against her ribcage as Kanda's hand abruptly tightened on her shoulder. The two of them remained that way for a long time, facing opposite walls, neither of them making any movement to speak.

And finally, Kanda broke the silence.

"How…are you feeling?" he asked, letting go of her shoulder at long last.

"I'm…fine," she said, sipping her tea as she turned around to watch Kanda get his drink. "You?"

"I was hardly hurt," he scoffed, pushing the green tea button. "Though…I suppose saying 'thanks' is appropriate, considering that I wouldn't be looking very good right now had you not pulled me out of the way."

"I didn't pull you out of the way," she corrected. "I _shielded_ you."

Rei thought she saw a ghost of a smile play at Kanda's lips, disappearing so quickly that she was sure she'd imagined it.

"Whatever," he smirked, drinking his tea. "By the way, you look so disgusting I can hardly stand to be in your presence."

"Sorry for not looking wonderful after being stabbed in the back by a million shards of glass," she said scathingly. "And how come you don't have to wear the ridiculous patient outfit?!"

She'd just noticed that he was in a T-shirt and jeans. He looked…really good in casual clothes.

"Because I can't go around wearing _that_," he said, wrinkling his nose at her. "Even the gods of the modeling world would look ugly in that…"

"Shut up…"

It was very odd, bantering with him when she'd left him on such terrible terms a week before. She'd almost forgotten exactly how beautiful Kanda could be, albeit the late hour and the events of the day.

She suddenly grew aware that he was staring at her very intently.

"…What is it?" she asked warily, tossing her empty cup in the trash can.

"You and Mikk…" he seemed to want to say something, but changed his mind midway and said something else. "You get along well."

"…Tyki's an amiable person," she shrugged in faked nonchalance.

"I see…" he said coldly. "I'm guessing that's why you guys are dating now?"

Rei arched an eyebrow.

"We're not dating…where'd you hear that?"

Kanda took a step back, startled.

"He…told the nurse…"

"He was trying to ride on the ambulance," Rei said. "He thought that excuse would prove a closer relationship to me so they'd let him come."

"Oh. I thought you…"

"No."

A pause. Kanda spoke again.

"Then the shoot?"

"You said it yourself. Models have those kinds of shoots all the time."

"So…you don't….like him that way."

It was not a question but not exactly a statement either. Rei could tell that he wanted to appear more reserved and less curious about the topic than he really was.

"No…I don't. Tyki is…a congenial character. Unlike yourself, if I may add."

Oh dear…that last statement was her inner bitch speaking…

"Che," he said, throwing his drink away as well. "We all know about my problems with my personality—let's not belabor those. Matsumomo…why did you quit?"

"…Was my reason not obvious?" she said in disbelief.

"It…New Year's…that…"

"You can't want me back, Kanda," she said quietly. "You can't want me back…not as a bodyguard…"

"You saw the new guy though…he's useless, he didn't react at all when you shot at me, or when the window broke because someone else was trying to kill me…"

"But that's all you want me for!" she said furiously, taking a step back. "Right?! Just as a bodyguard?!"

"…That's what I hired you for."

"If you were going to stay in the lines of hiring me, then…that kiss on Christmas would've never happened!"

"Christmas was…I have no hell of an idea what happened on Christmas!" he said, aggravated. "It just…happened, there was just something there…"

"You admitted it. There was something there. Some chemistry, some magnetic pull—"

"I wouldn't go so far—"

"_You_ were the one who kissed me first," she said accusingly, her green eyes flashing. "You instigated everything. And if it was just a joke, you wouldn't have…led me on like that…"

"…Accident."

She reflexively aimed a punch for his face, but her injuries abruptly stopped her from conducting it well, and Kanda caught her fist. The unintended impact sent her spiraling forward; she fell, caught by Kanda's arms.

Rei looked up instantly. Bad idea. She met Kanda's piercing ice-blue eyes head on, and like a deer caught in headlights, she froze. Nothing was as mesmerizing as Kanda's eyes, those incredible irises that could capture any audience, seduce any woman with the merest flicker…

Kanda swiftly brought her up, lifting her a few inches of the ground. Rei felt his lips touch hers. That wonderful sensation flooded her system as he deepened the kiss, pressing her against the wall and bringing a hand up to her cheek. This kiss was so different from the many that she'd shared with Tyki. She felt something, she felt exhilaration, not just instinctive pleasure, she felt freedom, she felt elation…she brought her hands up and wrapped them around Kanda's neck, responding fervently. He seemed somewhat taken back by her response, drawing back a bit, but Rei wouldn't let him. Her hands kept his face in place as her mouth savored the taste of Kanda's…

A ringtone broke through their intimacy, and the two of them stopped, both bewildered by what had just happened. The kiss had been so sudden, had just _happened_, and they simply stared at each other for a few seconds.

Kanda moved first, letting Rei down on the ground and reaching into his pocket for the phone. Rei caught a glimpse of who the incoming caller was: Lenalee.

She abruptly moved her hand over the phone, preventing Kanda from answering.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

"Choose," she said simply.

"What?"

"I said choose. Me or her."

"You don't need to make me make a decision, Matsumomo," he said harshly. "Not when you yourself can't make a decision to begin with—"

"There was never a choice for me to begin with," she retaliated. "It was with you or without you."

He gazed at her, stunned.

"…You would…leave Mikk?"

"Tyki already knows about my feelings," she replied curtly. "He's agreed to abide with them…for the time being. There were never any romantic implications between us."

The phone had stopped ringing, and the two of them lapsed into silence for an umpteenth time. Why were these silences…so awkward?

"When you first hired me, you said that…you would fire me if I fell in love with you. Well…I did. But…I don't think I'm the only one who violated that contract," she said softly.

The phone began ringing again, its screen lighting up as Lenalee's name popped up on the screen. She covered it again, pushing it down, preventing Kanda from answering it. Jade met sapphire. Their gazes were locked.

"Choose," she said again. "Me or her. I'll never settle for second place, Kanda. It's one or the other. And if you choose her…I won't wait for you forever, Kanda. It's your choice."

He seemed dumbstruck, unable to say anything. They fell into the deathly silence that so often penetrated their conversations. Rei could hear nothing but the incessant ticking of the clock and the screeching ringtone, felt nothing but the violent vibrating under her palm and the warmth that Kanda's hand conveyed. Her heart beat furiously in anticipation. In anxiety.

And in hope.

* * *

**Free Talk**:

We have broken 300 reviews! Thanks to ALL who have reviewed, especially those who are consistent reviewers. -bows- I love and appreciate you all so much!

I forgot to mention this about the last chapter. If it annoyed anyone, sorry for garbling up the Noah family relationships...I just don't really see the Noah as truly "blood-related," so I felt it was okay for me to split up the relations. As for forgetting a good few of the Noah, again, I apologize for that. But let's face it, I want the family to be _pretty_, (not including the Earl, haha), and Skin's just not attractive, okay? And I suppose Wisely could be counted as attractive, if he just didn't have a fifth eye or how ever many he has...

DGM updates next week! Finally! I'm so excited! :D I'm looking forward to it! And it sure as hell better be better than the last chapter...and have more than five panels of Kanda...gr.

I really love reviews. Please understand. So please please _please_ review! You'd make me so much happier! :)

Thanks & Love,

*~m.n.~*


	17. Whimsical, Forlorn, Forsaken

**Chapter 17: Whimsical, Forlorn, Forsaken**

Rei's heart was beating furiously as the two of them simply stared at each other in absolute silence, save for the fierce vibrations and almost screeching sound of the cell phone.

Then, Kanda closed his eyes, bringing his hand down and pressing the button on the side of the phone, silencing it.

Rei caught her breath, her jade eyes widening. _Seriously_? Had she actually…won?

"Let's sit down," said Kanda wearily.

The tone of his voice immediately dampened Rei's initial ecstatic hopes. She pursed her lips and followed him to a bench, sitting gingerly down beside him.

"Let's talk," he said.

"About?" she said.

A pause. "I met Lenalee a long time ago. I hadn't been adopted by Tiedoll yet, so I was still on the run from the yakuza." Kanda leaned against the walls, his blue eyes looking off into the distance. "She…we met at a restaurant of some sort, purely by accident. She was in Tokyo for an audition—I was in the same restaurant, hiding in the back storage room because I had heard that some yakuza underlings were on the streets, having picked up my whereabouts. When a group of them suddenly burst into the restaurant…she headed straight for the storage room, as if she'd known I was there all along."

Rei could feel a strange sensation rise up in her chest. She knew that she didn't want to hear the rest of the story. Kanda, however, pressed on relentlessly.

"We talked…I suppose. The yakuza were there for a long time, shouting out my description to the restaurant…and she knew they were looking for me. She seemed to understand my situation, even though we hadn't really talked about it. And after they left…Lenalee just looked at me for a while, noting that perhaps I could actually be a model or work or something…and she was the one who brought me to Tiedoll…and basically made my life what it is now." Kanda's eyes shut as he fell quiet. "I owe Lenalee a lot. It'd be…awful of me to just—"

"Are you dating her out of pity or something?" snapped Rei.

Kanda's eyes flew open, and he met her glare with his own.

"What are you saying?" he snarled.

"In case you haven't noticed, this isn't helping at all," Rei retorted, standing up. Her back was aching miserably, which only heightened her anger. "I don't give a damn about your past love life, or how you two met—all I want to know right now is what's going on between us."

"How do you not understand?" sputtered Kanda.

"Understand?!" she said angrily. "So just because you 'owe Lenalee a lot,' I'm just supposed to ignore what happened on Christmas—what happened _just now_?! If you knew from the beginning that you couldn't or wouldn't stay with me, then _don't fucking lead me on_!"

"I wasn't leading you on—"

Rei moved without thinking; she brought her hand down on Kanda's cheek with as much force as she could muster.

"_Kissing_ me is leading me on," she whispered furiously. She was suddenly aware of the dampness in her eyes.

Kanda was stunned that she had hit him; he simply stared at her, incredulity in his azure eyes.

Rei bit down on her lower lip, then continued.

"You're so prideful…so arrogant as to not be able to recognize the fact that I have some sort of impact on you," she said quietly, the anger still horribly evident in her voice. "And if you want to insist that I don't, then say so. Don't…don't leave me hanging like this, wondering, wishing…whimsically…"

Oh, God, was she crying?

Rei brought a hand up to her face, feeling the wetness on her cheeks, then turned around. She didn't want to see Kanda, or for him to see her weakness.

"I'm going to bed," she said, and without another look behind her, she left him alone in the hallway.

* * *

Kanda sighed after a few minutes of sitting alone in the empty corridor, his cheek still stinging, his ears still resounding with Rei's voice, his eyes burning with the brief image he'd seen in that moment where she'd looked at him with pure pain mixed with hatred and desire, her tear-stained cheeks and yet her green eyes that flashed with inexplicable rage.

So at least he could admit it to himself. Perhaps there was some sort of chemistry between them. Perhaps Rei did mean something to him. After all, why would Kanda have gotten so furious at the sight of seeing her and Tyki make out in the middle of the photo shoot, even though it'd been for a job?

But he could not be with her.

He still owed Lenalee. He knew that. And even if Lenalee insisted that Kanda didn't have to stay with her if that was all he felt for her—obligation—Kanda knew that he couldn't very well just ditch her. It wasn't like he abhorred her. Lenalee had some nice attributes. She was understanding. And Kanda could not deny that had it not been for her, he would most likely be dead on the streets, having not acquired Tiedoll's protection.

Matsumomo would have to get over it. Kanda could not possibly mollify both girls, and it was beyond his character to actually be two-timing them.

He exhaled, leaning heavily back on the wall. His cell phone vibrated violently in his hand again, and he looked down at the caller. Lenalee.

"Hey," he said heavily.

"Oh…sorry, were you sleeping?" she asked.

"No…I was out of the room for a moment…"

Kanda stood up, making his way back to his room as he listened listlessly to Lenalee's voice. He paused as he arrived at the intersection between his hallway and the one that Matsumomo was in. His blue eyes flickered to the corridor, and after a brief pause, he went back to his room, no longer seeking out Matsumomo's figure.

* * *

"Rei," said Tyki's velveteen voice. "Wake up, dear. Or perhaps I shouldn't have come so early in the morning…well, visiting hours do start at six, so I thought I'd make the most out of the time restraint…dear, I know you're awake already."

Rei had been awake all night. Upon hearing the door open, she had quickly shut her eyes, pretending to be asleep, thinking that it was a nurse who'd come in to check on her condition. Realizing that it was Tyki, however, Rei sat up, opening her swollen eyes.

"Oh, goodness," sighed the Portuguese model, bringing a hand up to her face. "Your eyes are so red…and you have bags under your eyes…great, so what happened? I'm guessing your blue-eyed prince did something stupid…"

"Can I go home?" she mumbled.

"I don't know if they'll discharge you, sweet," he said, bringing up the tray on her bed and laying a plastic container on it. "I made you breakfast—it should still be hot. Eat it, and tell me what happened."

"What's my definition of home anyway?" she muttered, opening the container and not thinking coherently enough to follow up with Tyki's lingering statement. "I can't go back to my old house, but I can't stay with you forever…I don't even have a _home_…"

"Who says you can't stay with me forever?" murmured Tyki, stroking her face as he sat down in a stool beside her. "I thought I made it clear to you anyway, if nothing happens between you and Kanda by the end of this year, you'd come live with me in Portugal."

"Ha…" she laughed humorlessly, spearing a sausage and bringing it to her lips. "You're going to get so tired of me, Tyki…those are just empty words…"

She stared down at her breakfast, abruptly counting five sausages, including the one that she was eating. Her stomach dropped, and she looked up to meet Tyki's probing eyes.

"I gave you five sausages today," he said pointedly, ignoring her insult.

"I know…" she said weakly.

Oh damn it all, she could feel the tears roll down her cheeks again, though whether it was from frustration or from feeling touched that Tyki had bothered to come and add this little detail to her breakfast, she didn't know. And for goodness sake, why was she crying?! There wasn't enough _water_ in her system for her to be crying this much!

"…Rei, what's wrong?" said Tyki, positively alarmed.

"I don't know," she said, leaning back and brushing her tears hastily. "I don't fucking know what's going on anymore…I _protected_ him, just out of instinct, and yet I lost, I fucking lost already and this game hasn't even started…"

Tyki arched a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "I'm rather confused, Rei, do explain."

Rei shook her head.

"It's nothing," she sighed.

She didn't want Tyki to know. Nor did she want him to know about the feelings that were currently being drawn up in her chest, the lack of motivation to model, to bodyguard, to do anything regarding the showbiz world anymore. But she didn't exactly know what she would do with a normal life either.

"I'm not an idiot," Tyki said dryly. "I think I can deduce enough from your tears and your facial complexion to know that something obviously did happen. Why aren't you telling me?"

"Forget it," she said. "I—"

She stopped as a wave of nausea suddenly passed over her. Rei brought a hand up to her head, pausing.

"Rei?" said Tyki hesitatingly.

"Did you find out who shot at us yesterday?" said Rei.

"No…we didn't," said Tyki a bit icily. "But it doesn't matter…"

"Well, we never know," she said. "It could've been Kanda who was the target, but it also could've been _me_…"

"I doubt it was you, Rei…"

A quietness settled over the two of them, neither of them making any motion to say anything. Rei's back ached, her head throbbed, and all of a sudden, the breakfast that Tyki had painstakingly made for her didn't seem so appealing anymore…

Why?

Why Lenalee, Kanda?

And why could Rei, for the love of humanity, why could she _not_ stop thinking about him?

And why could Rei not fully appreciate everything that Tyki did for her, everything that he said, his consoling words, his actions, and even if Tyki had nightly appointments, even if he sometimes smiled or smirked in a way that was alarming, he still gave a damn sight more about her than Kanda did, so _why couldn't Rei just stop thinking about it all?!_

Tyki abruptly picked up the container and placed it the side, sliding the tray back to the side of the bed. Rei looked up at him, startled. She only saw the shimmer of Tyki's golden eyes before she felt his lips brush hers. She leaned back instinctively, distressed, but Tyki adjusted his weight so that he was on the bed. He pushed Rei onto pillows and climbed over her, his lips never once leaving hers.

The kiss was different, much more different, more passionate than the ones that he'd administered during their "practice." Rei's head whirled with this new revelation—what was she supposed to do? Tyki was more forceful in their contact, his mouth dominating hers. She felt his teeth graze her lower lip, holding it in place as he sucked on it slowly, something that he hadn't done before. Rei shivered, but whether it was from disgust or delight, even she didn't know.

She couldn't breathe. Rei pulled her face away, chest heaving as she inhaled glorious oxygen; Tyki didn't stop. His lips glided to her ear, trailing along the crevasses and then her earlobe. He bit down lightly, causing her to shudder again, and then continued down her neck. His large hands gripped her wrists tightly, pressing them firmly down on the mattress. His lips paused right below her jaw, and then, quite abruptly, he bit down, eliciting an unconscious cry from Rei. Rei's heartbeat, something she thought she'd learned to control whenever she was kissing Tyki, escalated, and she snapped back into reality and began to resist.

"A bit of a belated reaction, I must say," whispered Tyki by her ear as she pushed against his arms. "Stop struggling, Rei, you're weak right now, and you know that I can do whatever I want to."

"What the hell are you saying?" she said shakily. "What the hell are you _thinking_—get _off_ of me, Tyki—"

"Exactly what kind of person do you think I am, Rei?" he said, his face hovering centimeters away from hers. "Do you think I'm the kind, caring man that I normally am with you? The one who's willing to help you out in your quest for recognition…blindly?"

"No, because you obviously haven't been helping me—"

Tyki cut her off by kissing her again. Taking advantage of her surprise, he slipped his tongue in her mouth, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to prickle as he explored her mouth extensively. Rei made a sudden movement to smack Tyki across the head, but the Portuguese man held her down tightly, simply deepening the kiss to the point where Rei felt violated.

"_Fuck_, Tyki!" she gasped, moving her face away.

One of his hands gripped her two wrists together as the other slinked down under the blankets, fiddling with the hem of her hospital nightgown and then slipping up her bare leg. Rei flushed, jerking away, but that only gave Tyki more room to move, and he trailed his fingertips up her thigh.

"Stop, if this is some kind of _joke_—" she snapped, but then she caught sight of Tyki's eyes, and realized that even if it had been a joke to begin with, it definitely no longer was. His golden eyes gleamed with an indescribable emotion, but the one feeling she could make out of those shimmering orbs was lust.

Tyki wasn't going to be stopping any time soon.

* * *

One thing that Tyki absolutely _hated_ about Rei was the fact that she seemed oblivious to his physical desires. Seriously, did she think it was the easiest thing in the world for him to be living in the same house as her, to know that she was in the bathroom where he could easily have access whenever she was taking a shower, to be able to hear the faint breaths she emitted whenever she fell asleep—vulnerable to a point of sin—on the couch?

Did she really think he wasn't affected at all?

On and on she went about Kanda, crying, protecting him, turning into something she wasn't _because of him_, and Tyki was so tired of it all, tired of being second place when he obviously had been first all his life.

Well, for most of his life.

And this sudden demotion brought back unwanted memories in Tyki's mind, and he wanted nothing more than to prove to Rei of his restraint, to jolt her back to reality, to let her know how much he was suffering at her hands…

But it wasn't like he was in _love_ with her—far from it. In fact, it had been so long since Tyki had been in love that he was almost convinced that he'd forgotten how to feel the emotion—no, all he knew was cold, hard, raw lust, and Rei by far piqued his interest to the degree where he desired her to a point of uncontrollable ability…

He just wanted to screw her and get over it.

Because Tyki knew that Rei was untouched, pure, still, and that he could not stand the thought of anyone corrupting her first except for him…

He was tired of being the gentleman.

In the midst of their activities, with his hand halfway up her leg, Tyki stopped. Rei looked at him, fright apparent in her eyes, though her body relaxed reflexively as he withdrew his hand and climbed off the bed. Obviously thinking that he had decided to stop it with his illicit activities, Rei spoke.

"I…what the hell, Tyki?!"

"Don't get smart with me, Rei," he said coolly, striding over to the door and locking it.

As the sound of the lock clicking into place reverberated in the room, Tyki heard Rei take in a sharp breath. Tyki then brought down the screen of the window, blocking them from the view of anyone in the vicinity.

"You're…joking," she said faintly as he turned around.

Rei stood up from the bed, her footing unstable, and backed away into a wall as Tyki approached her.

"Why so scared, sweet?" he said in a purring voice, slipping his tie off.

"Tyki, you're not this kind of person, why the hell…"

"Not this kind of person?" he said, letting out a bark of laughter. "Dear God, Rei, what kind of perfect person do you think I am? You've seen me, my nightly appointments…you've been aware of my character well before you agreed to move in with me."

"But never to me," she said, moistening her lips with a brush of her tongue. Tyki was seized with a desire to kiss her brutally again. "You were always…reserved, restrained around me, Tyki, always stopping the moment the phone rang, why are you doing this now?"

"Because I'm bored," he said, popping the first few buttons of his shirt open. "And because I'm tired of you being obsessed with Kanda."

"Obsessed?" said Rei almost hysterically, backing into the wall so far that she seemed to be jammed against it by some external force. "I was not obsessed—Tyki, please—"

"Don't worry, sweet," he said, bringing a hand up and pushing her swollen lower lip gently. "I won't hurt you."

"What you're about to do, Tyki, I wouldn't call that 'not hurting' me."

Tyki gazed into her eyes levelly, sensing her fear of him, an emotion that he hadn't expected to see directed at him. What Tyki had originally felt like doing—screwing her, that is—left his mind. Upon pulling apart from her the first time, he found that he had a better grip on his emotions than before, that he could think clearly.

And obviously, screwing Rei against her will would not be the best idea.

Instead, he leaned down, given their great disparity in height, and kissed her tenderly on her forehead, his hand caressing her neck gently. She shuddered at his touch and shrank away, causing her to lose her footing. Tyki caught her.

"Forgive me," he said lightly. "I got ahead of myself."

He backed away a few steps, leaving about a meter or so in between them. Rei slumped to the ground, pale and shaking.

"Well," mused Tyki, sitting on the bed and pulling his pack of cigarettes out of his breast pocket, "at least I got you to stop thinking about Kanda? For the moment, after all…"

"Was this some…way to get back at me for upsetting you last night?" said Rei incredulously as she watched Tyki light a cigarette. "Some form of…punishment, or the like, or—"

Her voice was reaching the breaking point of hysterics.

"No," he said gently, kneeling down in front of her. The smoke danced in front of her eyes, causing her to turn away. "No…I seriously did just get ahead of myself. Rei, you don't understand. Living with you for the last three weeks…it's been hard to restrain myself."

"You haven't been in your house for the majority of the nights—what is your _problem_, Tyki Mikk?!"

"Having nightly appointments was my form of restraint!" said Tyki heatedly. "God, Rei, you don't get it, do you?! Do you know how fucking hard is it to have a girl like you under the same roof as me, you're sleeping right across the hall, a place I have easy access to—you fall asleep on the couch, you're _vulnerable_, and I've had to control myself—"

"But you're not _in love_ with me—you said so yourself!"

"I never said that, but you're right, I'm not—"

"So _why_—"

"Have I not taught you well enough, Rei?!" said Tyki so loudly, his voice was bordering shouting.

Rei winced at his voice.

"Lust versus love. Love is something that no longer lives in my system," said Tyki harshly. "But that means lust is all the worse for me, and…"

There was a knocking on the door as the knob jangled.

"Oi!" said Lavi Bookman's voice from behind the door. "The hell? Mikk, open the damn door—who the hell said you could lock it?!"

Tyki heaved a sigh, knowing that they could no longer continue their intimate conversation in the presence of a blockhead.

"Get back in the bed, Rei," said Tyki heavily. "Bookman will be wondering why you're curled up in a fetal position in the corner…"

Rei scrambled unsteadily onto the bed, throwing the covers over her head, burying her face in the pillow. It was rather apparent to Tyki that Rei did not want to see him, or anyone else for that matter. Tyki shook his head and unlocked the door, opening it and stepping outside.

Lavi scowled at him.

"Uh, I'm obviously here to see Rei, not you! You're not dying, are you?"

"She's not either," said Tyki in a steely tone, breathing out a puff of smoke.

Lavi wrinkled his nose upon seeing his cigarette.

"Seriously, mate, we're in a _hospital_. How do you have the nerve to smoke?"

"I'm feeling more than pissed off right now, so if you don't mind, get off my case for smoking," Tyki snapped.

Lavi raised an eyebrow at Tyki's curtness.

"Damn, what happened?" he asked. "Actually, never mind, I think I'll ask Rei-chan that instead—"

"She's still sleeping," said Tyki coldly.

"Ha, right, as if a sleeping Rei could piss you off? Not likely. Besides, I've had enough of Kanda yelling at me to get the hell out of his room at six thirty in the morning, so I won't bother you any longer."

Lavi walked into the room, shutting it behind him. Tyki did not bother to follow him—he knew that Rei didn't want to see him at the moment. Frankly, Tyki didn't want to see her either. He sighed. Maybe he should just get her drunk one day and blame it on her hormones for whatever happened after that…it would save him a lot of exhaustion in the long run…freaking pissy woman.

A figure paused in front of him, and Tyki looked up to see the cause of it all: Kanda Yuu.

"Hmph," smirked Tyki upon meeting Kanda's ice-blue eyes. "Looks like the prince is all fine and dandy, hm?"

"What are you doing here so early?" said Kanda coolly.

"Came to see Rei, obviously. You?"

"I'm here for a walk, evidently," said Kanda haughtily.

"Give me a break. What the hell happened between you and Rei last night?"

Kanda stiffened. Tyki didn't know if he appreciated that reaction or not.

"What did she say?" asked Kanda.

"Load of incomprehensible shit. Something about her losing before the game started, even though she protected you…that you were a douche bag, an asshole, the most moronic, idiotic, unbelievable bastard—"

"Did she really say all that?!"

Tyki halted for a moment. "Fine, no, she didn't, but the first two sentences were true."

Kanda's shoulders relaxed for a moment. He then turned to lean against the wall opposite of Tyki so that they were facing each other.

"Why does it matter so much to you?" demanded the Japanese model. "What are you, her guardian, or—"

"At the least," said Tyki through gritted teeth, "I'm a friend." Well, hopefully that stayed the same way after what he'd just done. "And I do say I have some…right to inquire, seeing as she lives with me."

Kanda's eyes widened.

"She…she _moved in with you_?!" said Kanda in utter disbelief.

"I thought you knew that," said Tyki wryly. "But I guess not…looks like Walker and Marian were the only ones I told, now that I think about it…"

"For how long?!"

"Three weeks."

Kanda uttered a loud swear, then looked stonily at the ground.

"…Why do you care so much for her?" said Tyki.

Kanda looked up, surprise on his elegant features, which then darkened as he scowled.

"I could pose the same question for you," he retorted. "I happen to have known Matsumomo for a longer time than you—"

"You don't even call her by her first name," said Tyki with a roll of his eyes.

"I'm not frivolous like you Westerners—"

"And yet you kissed her of your own free will, and then blew it off as nothing," intercepted the Portuguese male. "You're a paradox, a hypocrite of your own words, Kanda."

"Is it illegal to care?!"

"No, it's not, but you're so bipolar about it that it should be for you."

Liquid gold met steel blue intensely—there was a mutual understanding that there was no love lost between the two of them.

"Forget it," said Kanda, breaking off the staring contest and continuing his stroll down the hall. "This is stupid. Do whatever you want."

Only when Kanda's receding figure had disappeared down a corner did Tyki realize that he still didn't know what had happened between Kanda and Rei the night before. And this particular realization annoyed him to no end.

* * *

_Two weeks later_.

Rei sat on a park bench, bundled up in an expensive trench coat and silken scarf as she gazed up at the blue sky. One of the few sunny days she'd seen in a while, despite the frigid temperature as of late…

She'd finally been discharged from the hospital five days ago. Though she'd been happy to get out of the boring as hell place, the atmosphere back in Tyki's apartment almost made her wish she could just stay in the hospital forever.

It wasn't that Tyki was being overtly mean to her or anything. Far from it. He'd been polite with her—almost overly kind—and yet Rei could not forget Tyki's somewhat sadistic eyes after their hospital scene. She'd ended up locking her bedroom door at night—constantly thinking of the fact that she was "sleeping right across the hall, where he had easy access to." And guilty as she felt for barring Tyki out of her room, she knew that it was now a necessary precautionary measure.

Cross had told Rei that she was not expected to model any time soon, given her injuries. Rei, however, being the workaholic she was, insisted on joining back in as soon as she can, though she really had no motivation to. It was just her debt to Tyki that kept her around at all, plus the fact that she didn't know what kind of life she could turn to after all this.

There was really not much of a point staying in the showbiz world anymore, seeing as there was no way for her to win Kanda over.

Annoying.

That's all he was.

Rei moistened her chapped lips as she stared off into the distance, her emerald eyes aloofly watching the photo shoot taking place a few yards away. Kanda and Lenalee…they were continuing on with their "physical intimacy" photos, though Rei could see that their portrayal of it was nothing like her and Tyki's. Lenalee was laughing, her arm interlocked with Kanda's, while Kanda's expression…Rei couldn't read it from this far away.

She pursed her lips. Well, they looked happy.

She heard a camera shutter click suddenly and looked around, her jade eyes falling on Allen. He emerged from behind a tree, grinning apologetically as he held up his camera, and sat down beside her.

"Hi," he greeted.

"Into stalker-like tendencies now, Allen?" she said. "What's up with the camera? Looks expensive…"

"It's one of Shishou's spares," he yawned. "And I was not being a stalker—I was just capturing your expression for the moment."

"My expression?" said Rei quizzically. "What's there to see? I'm just staring off into space."

"Here," the white-haired boy offered, handing the camera over.

Rei apprehensively took the expensive object into her gloved hands, pressing the "playback" button. She stared at the picture that showed up.

It was her, true, but Rei had no idea she looked _that_ distant when she was spacing out. Apathetic, untouchable, almost forlorn…okay, yes, forlorn, forsaken…because that was really what she had been feeling at the moment. It did not help that a ray of sunshine was illuminating her face, making her seem otherworldly…Rei shifted in her seat, uncomfortable.

"You don't like it?" said Allen, taking the camera back.

"It's not that I don't like it…" she said, averting her eyes. "It's…"

"It's not you," he said simply. "It's fine, I think it's like that too. People who don't know you will see this picture and think 'Hey, great picture. Captures her image really well.' But we know better than that, don't we? After all, Matsumomo Rei is the one who falls asleep in class, who scowls at Lee-sensei for telling her off, who can walk in front of Kanda Yuu looking like she just came out of a snowstorm…" Allen chuckled. "It's okay, Rei. Just because you live around them doesn't mean you have to match up…"

"But it's because I don't match up that Kanda can never look at me the way he looks at Lenalee, right?" said Rei quietly.

Allen stared at her.

"Goodness…what exactly has happened between you two?" he said weakly. "You're…you're _that_ in love with him?!"

Rei shook her head fervently.

"No…I'm stopping…or…I'm trying to," she said, frustrated. "But it's not just Kanda who's bothering me, it's Tyki too…I feel like…I'm doing Tyki some injustice, or that I…I don't know anymore…" she finished miserably.

"…But who are you in love with?" queried Allen.

"…I don't know," she sighed. "I don't _love_ Tyki…I feel…I don't know, almost obligation towards him than anything. We get along…I suppose…" She paused briefly, remembering their hospital scene. "And Kanda…he's just so insufferable, I don't know what attracted me to him in the first place. He had his moments of…niceness, I suppose…maybe I'm just being so whimsical, so fickle…but there were moments with us, where I just felt like I could…I dunno…explode with happiness sounds a little stupid…"

"The hottest love has the coldest end," said Allen sagaciously.

Rei lifted an eyebrow, amused, though her expression did not show it.

"Socrates?"

Allen nodded. "Sometimes, I wonder if love dies."

"I think it does."

"But that's just pessimism speaking!" said Allen, smiling. "I don't think so, Rei. It might die for one person, but you'll get over it…eventually." He scooted over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Rei. It's fine to let up your mask once in a while, you know."

A brief smile flitted to Rei's lips.

"I wish all men were as sensible as you, Allen," she said whimsically. "Then I'd never get in a fight…"

"Then you wouldn't fall in love," said Allen, propping his feet up on the edge of the bench. "Because two of us would never work out. You…tend to go after the headstrong types…"

"The ones who end up hurting the most."

Allen looked at her, a bit startled, but then nodded slowly. "Yes, I suppose so."

Rei sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"I'm a bit tired," she said softly. "Mind if I borrow your shoulder?"

Allen shrugged, knowing that there was no other meaning to it.

"Sure. I told you that you should stay home and rest because of your injuries anyway…"

"Tyki told me to too…"

"Well, for once, it seems that we are of the same mind," he said sarcastically.

Rei's eyes fluttered shut as she nestled her head on Allen's shoulder. He was a bit too short for this to be extremely comfortable, but it would do.

She was torn…so torn up inside.

She just wanted to quit.

But Matsumomo Rei had never been a quitter…and it was her obligation to Tyki more than anything that kept her in the game…

And was it illegal to still try and hope for the silver lining of Kanda's dull cloud?

* * *

Someone was shaking her awake.

"Rei," said Allen's voice. "We're heading back inside…"

"I got her," said Tyki's deep timbre, and Rei felt herself be lifted into the air, her face buried against a warm chest, inhaling the scent of Tyki's now-familiar cologne. Exactly what did he wear?

She opened her eyes blearily, staring over Tyki's shoulder.

"I'm awake," she yawned, rather anxious to escape physical contact with Tyki. After all, over the last two weeks, nothing physical had happened between them save for the barest touches—occasional brushes of the fingers, which Tyki would apologize for, for some reason…he didn't even stroke her cheek, like he normally did.

"Ah, then the little princess is all for walking by herself?" said Tyki in a mocking tone, setting her back on the ground.

"Thank you," she mumbled, running her hand through her hair so that her bangs fell messily.

Tyki brought up his hand to her hair, as if wanting to part her bangs properly. Rei watched his hand, expecting to feel the warmth of his hand on her cheek, but he abruptly stopped and retracted his hand.

"Your bangs are a bit messy," he said, smiling. "Fix them when you get inside."

It swiftly hit Rei that there had been some sort of connection lost between Tyki and her after the hospital incident. And as she watched his tall figure draw into the revolving doors of the building, that unnecessary feeling of abandonment washed over her, and she sped up her pace, not letting him out of her sight.

* * *

"We'll be taking a trip to the beach," said Cross as the group gathered around him.

"The…beach?" said Rei, puzzled. "Why?"

The photographer shrugged as he lit his cigar.

"Change of scenery," he answered. "I'm bored of dreary old Japan. All expenses paid, of course, for everyone, thanks to our wonderful sponsoring companies, Gucci and Chanel…"

"Where to?" asked Kanda brusquely. Damn it, he didn't want to leave the city—he still had other work, for heaven's sake!

"Hm…I was either thinking Hawaii or somewhere the Mediterranean again…maybe Portugal. Then we could stay at Mikk's house."

"No," said Tyki sharply.

Everyone turned to look at him. He himself seemed surprised at his tone.

"I meant….that's probably not the best idea," said the Portuguese model, recovering himself. "That's…all…"

"We're going out of the country?!" said Kanda indignantly.

"I'm all for it," said Lavi brightly. "Excellent, when do we leave?"

"Next week or so," replied Cross.

"Exciting as this is," murmured Kate, "a bit of a heads-up would've been nice, Cross-san."

"I agree," said Lenalee, biting down on her lower lip. "What are we going to tell our other job offers?"

Again, Cross shrugged, apathetic to their plight. "Not my problem."

The group let out a unanimous groan as they watched Cross simply leave.

"Bastard," hissed Kanda.

"Moron," said Rei at the same time.

They caught each others' eyes and turned away just as quickly. Tyki seemed to notice this exchange of contact, for he pursed his lips into a thin line, but didn't say anything.

The group split, deciding that it was time for them to take a good long break after Kanda and Lenalee's last shoot, which had taken ages because Cross hadn't liked it for some reason. Kanda scowled. The only couple that hadn't taken a million hours on the "physical intimacy" shoot was Tyki and Rei, but that didn't really count, seeing as Cross refused to let Rei work for a while…

It hit Kanda all of a sudden that Rei was still living with Tyki. And something about that entire thing seemed obscene.

"Matsumomo!" he called out abruptly.

She half-turned around, Tyki with her.

But there was nothing he could say. The words simply died in his mouth, for Kanda also realized that he held no rights over Rei's actions, where she stayed, who she stayed with…

The three of them just stood there, staring. It was silent.

And then Rei just gave a sad, pained smile, and turned away, her silhouette melting in the darkness as she left with Tyki.

* * *

**Free Talk**:

A _very_ big number of reviews. :) Thank you all! And please continue to review!!

I forgot to apologize last time for changing Tyki's age. He's actually 26, but I felt that was a pretty big gap, so I toned it down a bit...hopefully no one minds.

I know, everyone hates me now for making Kanda a jackass and Tyki a not-so-nice person after all.

Well, Kanda really is a jackass, and Tyki's really not nice at all. I think Kanda's reflection is self-explanatory. I, however, would like to digress a bit about Tyki. Tyki is often over-exalted as the perfect gentleman or the insane sadist. Both of which are perfectly acceptable, of course, but I found that a balance was necessary. So Tyki went a bit more wild in this chapter, because I feel like he'd be OOC being a gentleman all the time...though his conversation with Rei might've seemed OOC. :O Sorry about that.

They're going to the beach!

As for the poll results, you can check yourself on my profile (since it's not a blind poll, though I really should administer another one because I forgot to make this one blind...oops.) And for my final decision on the pairing...I think I can finalize it by the next chapter or so...I think...hopefully...xP

Thanks for everything, and please review! Regardless of which pairing you prefer! :)

Love, *~m.n~*


	18. Shit Happens

**Chapter 18: Shit Happens**

"I'm going shopping," announced Rei two days after the shoot in the park.

Tyki looked up from his magazine, surprise etched on his attractive face.

"Shopping?" he repeated. "You can shop?"

"Yes," she said a bit testily, annoyed with the fact that Tyki was questioning her feminine capabilities. "I can."

"…Oh…is this because your paycheck came in yesterday?"

Her payment from modeling for Ralph Lauren had come in the mail yesterday, along with the official release of the advertisements around the world. Tyki was waiting for the critics to announce what they thought about it, and was thus staying home all day, awaiting some phone call or the promotion on the television.

"Yeah, I want to revel in the fact that I actually have some money in the bank," she said, slipping on her boots. "Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm good," he answered. "Not criticizing you or anything, but do run a brush through your hair and slap on some makeup, please. It won't do you any good walking into a department store with your hair frizzy like that."

Rei sighed, knowing better than to snap back because Tyki was right…like normal.

"Fine, fine," she groaned. "But are at least my clothes okay?"

Tyki eyed her outfit with the ability of an expert.

"Change into the tighter skinny jeans—those are too loose for you—and change into a white oxford, add a red scarf to it, then wear the Burberry trench coat—I like it—and the boots are fine."

"You basically just redid my entire outfit," she laughed, kicking off her shoes as she went back into her room.

"Dear, a hoodie and loose jeans aren't going to look very good in a high-class store."

Rei shook her head, smiling, and headed back into her room. It didn't hurt to follow some criticizing advice sometimes. Besides, it wasn't like Tyki said it in a condescending tone, unlike Kanda—

Stop.

She wouldn't think about him.

She entered her room and shut the door behind her firmly. Now, to pick out her clothes…

* * *

"Much better," said Tyki encouragingly when Rei reemerged from her room. "Your makeup looks fine as well. Did you put chapstick on before the lip gloss?"

Rei rolled her green eyes.

"Yes, dearest mother, I did," she said mockingly. "Thanks for reminding me."

"Hey, I'm trying to protect your pretty lips from getting chapped, okay? Don't insult me…"

Rei once again put on her boots as Tyki peered over the edge of Vogue International, watching her.

"What are you shopping for?" he inquired, absentmindedly flipping over a page.

"Stuff," said Rei vaguely. "I'll be back soon."

There was a moment's pause where the only thing that could be heard in the apartment was Rei's struggle to get her boots over her jeans.

"Rei," said Tyki suddenly, setting down his magazine and walking over to her.

"Yeah?"

He appeared in front of her as she looked up at him, having successfully pulled her boots over her jeans.

"Be sure to buy a few things for the trip in a few days—we're probably not going to be in Japan for a while, or at least Tokyo…so just get your necessities and all…"

"What are you, Tyki, my mom?" she grinned. "All right, all right, I will…"

That foolhardy smile, those trusting eyes…she still hadn't learned her lesson, had she?

Tyki pursed his lips and pushed her against the door, his golden eyes glimmering.

The first thing he could notice in Rei's eyes was fear. It was very apparent to him that the only thing she was thinking about at the moment was their hospital incident.

For some reason, though, Tyki didn't care very much. He hadn't touched her since the incident, being overly cautious of how and where he was touching her, apologizing for stupid brushes of the fingers that were purely accidental and shouldn't have to be apologized over…and he felt empty after not kissing her in so long…

He pressed his lips to hers very swiftly, breaking it off as quickly as it came. It was extremely difficult to do so—it seemed like once he started, his body really didn't want to stop.

Rei's eyes narrowed as their gazes locked.

"Sorry," he said after a silence. "It's just been a while since I've done that."

"…You scare me."

"I know."

"I'm leaving."

"Have fun, meu amor."

"God, Tyki!" said Rei loudly, trying to scoot away from him. "I don't get you!"

"I don't get myself," he said wryly. "It just happened. I don't love you—both of us know that—but I don't know, I just have this crazy desire to just…_have_ you—"

"You possessive _freak_—"

Tyki didn't really want to be listening to insults at the moment and instead leaned down to kiss her again. Their lips touched, haltingly for a few seconds. But Tyki knew that Rei wasn't going to let it continue; he saw her arms move quickly, trying to push him off—he caught them easily and pressed them against the wall. He then felt her legs shift in front of his; before she could reach up and kick him, he nailed one of his knees on both of her thin legs, keeping her immobilized. Knowing that she could no longer physically resist, Tyki deepened the kiss, trailing his tongue over her lower lip before slipping it in her mouth, welcoming the warmth of the cavern as his tongue brushed lightly over hers, exploring. He felt so good, so _blissful_ as a rush of pleasure and lust engulfed his mind, and in his moment of serenity, he let down his guard.

One of Rei's legs managed to slip out from under his knee and whipped up, kneeing him in the side. Tyki broke off the connection immediately, backing away, breathing harshly.

"I DON'T GET YOU!" Rei bellowed, her cheeks brilliantly flushed. "I REALLY DON'T, TYKI!"

"I know, I know," he said wearily, taking a few more steps back. "Just forget it, _forget it_, when you come back, I'll be under control—just give me a few moments alone."

Something flashed in Rei's eyes, but whether it was anger, disbelief…or hurt, he didn't know. Rei's lips thinned into a small line before she grabbed her coat and purse and left the room, slamming the door shut tightly behind her.

Tyki sank onto the couch, holding his head in one hand. He was exhausted, and it wasn't due to lack of sleep or constant activity. In fact, he hadn't had an "appointment" since Rei had landed in the hospital. Seriously, what was wrong with him? He was the ultimate playboy, his emotions were _perfectly_ in check, so why was he so loose when it came to Rei?

It was that old archenemy yet greatest ally of his again, playing games with him…_damn_ lust…his previous thoughts still stood—maybe things would just be better for him if he just bedded down with Rei and just forgot about it all…

But something told him that probably wasn't the best idea…

But he was so _tired_ of holding himself back—he never did!—and it was costing him more effort than it should to put up this façade of indifference to Rei's presence around him. He didn't want to strike that same fear in her heart as he had in the hospital, but he wanted her to _know_ how bad it was for him…

Well, maybe she did, he thought with a wry smile. After all, she'd started locking her door at night. And don't ask how he knew—it wasn't like he had tried or anything.

Okay, fine, he had, but only once, and it had been just to talk to her. Pure intentions.

Seriously.

His cell phone rang abruptly. Tyki yawned and plucked it out of his pocket, looking down at the caller. Road. It'd been a while since they'd talked.

"Oi," he said, cradling the phone in his hand to his ear. "Road, dear sister…how are you?"

"I hate you, Tyki."

Tyki made his way to his kitchen, sighing. Road was in one of her spoiled moods…

"Why, minha irma?"

"Don't you go 'minha irma-ing' me, and don't try to soften me up speaking Portuguese all of sudden when you know you hate speaking any other language but English—"

"That's a lie," he said, taking a bottle of wine out of a cabinet. "I like Portuguese just fine. Now, care to tell me why you're so angry, little sister?"

"You haven't called me in a month!"

"Well, you haven't called me either," said Tyki pointedly, pouring the wine into a clean glass.

"Tsk, haven't you ever heard that ladies don't like to be kept waiting?!"

"Fine, fine, my bad…what's up?"

"Nothing," grumbled Road. "Cyril's making me go to school…"

"Well, you really should," said Tyki comfortingly. "I mean, seeing as how _I _never got a formal education or anything…"

"But you're still really smart," whined Road. "And famous. And rich. Why can't I just be like you?"

"Now, now, minha irma…"

"Oh stop it with the whole my sister crap, what are we in, Tyki, the eighteenth century?" There was some incoherent muttering in the back, then Road's voice came into prominence again. "Tyki, Cyril wants to talk to you—"

"Hang on, I—"

Tyki felt his stomach naturally drop upon hearing his foster brother's voice appear at the other end of the line. Really, he could not deal with Cyril's simpering clingy personality sometimes…

"Brother!" said Cyril jubilantly. "So, how is Japan?"

"Fine," said Tyki, drinking his wine deeply. "How's Portugal?"

"Dandy as always," replied his brother. "Coming back any time soon?"

Tyki remembered that Cross had suggested going to the Mediterranean to shoot…but Tyki would see to it that they would not be going to Portugal just yet—he didn't want to return at the moment…

"Probably not," said Tyki stiffly.

"Ah, I'm guessing that affairs with my little bodyguard aren't coming along so well?"

"_Your_ little bodyguard?"

"Ah, that's what I'd like to think," mused Cyril. "Though I can hear a bit of jealousy in your voice there, Tyki…"

"She's _half_ your age, that is _disgusting_, Cyril."

"Oh, I don't mean it like _that_, you perverted young man—"

"Shut up," said Tyki dryly, not in the best of moods and unwilling to hear Cyril's jokes. "And in answering your questions, things are progressing decently at best, I suppose. It'll take a while."

"I see, I see. Well, like I said before, no hurry!"

"Whatever."

"Tyki," said Cyril, his voice faded as if he weren't speaking properly into the receiver, "Lulu wants to talk to you—"

"_Lulu_—"

The voice on the other end of the line changed yet again, this time to a smooth, alluring, accented voice that was rich and full.

"Meu querido," she said silkily, "how are you doing?"

Tyki paused a minute before answering, draining the rest of his drink before he spoke again.

"Lulu," he said smoothly. "Pleased to hear from you."

"Ach, what's with your deliberately aloof attitude? It's usually me who keeps the distance between us, not the other way around."

"Sorry, not in a great mood right now," he said slickly. "A bit tired."

"I bet…" she murmured. "You work very hard, you know? Sometimes, I think you forget to take care of yourself…"

"I'm taking care of myself just fine, Lulu. You?"

"I never took this whole modeling business as seriously as you do, Tyki. I'm getting along quite pleasantly. I might get married soon and settle down, you know."

"Is that so," said Tyki in a voice that didn't invite conversation. He wanted to rest, and talking to his family for some reason made him more tired than he needed to be.

"Mm hm," said Lulubell. "So when you come back, perhaps you can meet the lucky man."

Tyki paused.

"Wait…there actually _is_ a guy?"  
"My, oh my, your listening skills have deteriorated," laughed Lulubell in that soft, breathy laughter of hers. "Yes, there is, and I'm anxious for you to meet him."

"Really…" said Tyki, disinterested. "Well, forgive me for cutting the conversation short, but I'm a bit tired, so…"

His voice trailed off, but Lulubell got the message. Smart woman.

"Of course," she said understandingly. "It was good speaking with you, Tyki. Be sure to call more often."

"I will," he said. "Send everyone my love."

"Will do. Take care."

"Bye."

Tyki hung up and let out a long breath. It wasn't like he hated his family. Quite the contrary. But sometimes he felt rather burdened around them, and well, the reason was really quite obvious, given his past…

Tyki was waiting for something. Oh right, for the critical reviews of the Ralph Lauren shoots…he wasn't expecting them to be raving praises, but he wasn't expecting them to be bad either. Besides, an obscure Asian model had to have some sort of charm, one way or another…

He had just sunk back onto the sofa and had closed his eyes when the doorbell rang. His golden eyes opened instantly, disturbed, and he scowled. Really, could he not have a moment's peace to himself? And if it was Rei who had returned, well, that girl _really_ didn't know how to shop if all she could stand was just half and hour…

Tyki walked up to the door, opening it slightly so he could see outside. It somehow slipped his mind to actually look through the peephole.

"Tyki-san?" said a completely unfamiliar voice.

He looked down at the visitor.

"Oh…" The newcomer's face seemed recognizable. A transfer Euro-Japanese student at a local university—rather attractive, though somewhat on the short side…she had been one of his previous nightly appointments. He racked his brain for her name. "Er…Mika, was it?"

"Tyki-san, could I talk to you, please?"

Tyki stifled a groan. Sometimes, he hated women. They were just so damn clingy…

"Look, what happened between us was just a one night stand kind of thing, no big deal, no harm done, please don't think anything about it—"

"But Tyki-san, I love you!"

They'd known each other for three hours before he slept with her…really, women, they were so damn unreasonable…

Tyki exhaled. "I'm sorry, I just can't feel the same way—by the way, how the hell'd you find me? I thought no one was allowed up here…"

"I found out your location because I just had to see you," said Mika desperately. "Please, Tyki-san, let's reconcile—"

"No thank you."

"Then…can you please have me? One more time? For memory's sake?"

Tyki stared, shocked.

"…Are you serious?" he said, astonishment more than recognizable on his features.

"Please, I haven't felt this way about anyone—"

"Uh, I have a policy, I don't really sleep with the same woman twice—leads to awkward questions later, and—"

Tyki's sentence was cut off as Mika abruptly leapt up on him, her arms garlanding his neck as she kissed him fervently. Startled, he took a step back. Bad idea, as it led her into the apartment, and she pushed him further into the room, kicking the door shut behind her.

Great…

It didn't help that Tyki hadn't slept with anyone in a while…

And that he was feeling frustrated at Rei…seriously, it wasn't like she was even all that…

And that he was really _very_ bored…

_Eh_, he thought, wrapping his arms around Mika's profile, _might as well make the best of it._

As for the rules…what rules? He was Tyki Mikk. He never followed them.

* * *

Tyki was just…so confusing sometimes.

Rei kicked at a pile of snow as she walked down the street to the busier side of town.

Her lips were still burning as she trotted briskly down the sidewalk, her green eyes scanning the Tokyo landscape. Her purse hung loosely at her elbow as she brought up a gloved hand to brush a few stray bangs out of her face. Her mouth was drawn as tight as a purse string as she thought of what had happened only minutes ago.

Did Tyki mean everything he did?

Well, technically, what Tyki did differed from what he said all the time, so Rei never really knew what the Portuguese man was talking about…

These Europeans, she scowled, they just knew how to toy with her mind…

Actually, that was just probably men in general.

And what was that weird feeling in her heart? It had died down a bit, now that she was out in the open, but when Tyki had said to just "forget it" and that he would be normal once she came back…strange, she never enjoyed Tyki's advances, but it felt odd to hear him tell her to simply "forget it."

Well, she'd try to forget about it for now. After all, she was out in the shopping complexes, armed with nothing but her debit card which currently had four hundred thousand yen in it. No wonder models were loaded…with the amount they earned with one shoot…

Rei honestly didn't even like shopping.

It was a boring activity, really, and too time-consuming for her liking.

But she didn't like the feeling of having so much money in the bank…especially because she knew that money was supposed to be her primary motivation (other than obligation to Tyki, but that wasn't working out very well right now) to stay in showbiz.

Because honestly, now that she really had no chances with Kanda—

Stop.

Don't think about him.

So now, Rei was going to blow money like crazy and return to a state of financial need, and thus continue to model and deal with her current situation.

So exactly what was the best way to spend four hundred thousand yen?

* * *

Rei walked back to the apartment, her hands laden with bags. She was very pleased with her purchases. Clothes, shoes, accessories…and then some gifts. Allen's gift would make him _very_ happy…and Rei had been in high enough spirits to buy Tyki a gift as well.

She'd been surprised when she bought it, actually.

Rei had walked into Dolce and Gabbana just for fun and had been playing around with the fragrances. She'd sprayed one—Light Blue Pour Homme—and the resulting sensual scents had completely engulfed her, much more than the other ones, especially since it gave her the distant impression of the enigmatic. This combination of wood and citrus and spices, very sensual, very sexy, very confident…in a sophisticated way. It suited Tyki. Very well.

And so she'd bought him one. She didn't know _why_…but perhaps it was because she felt that the present she'd gotten him in return for Christmas had been less than adequate, and she was making up for it…and there resided the fact that she caused him an infinite amount of trouble and thus, she should do something to show her appreciation for his…patience, in most matters…

Rei climbed the stairs to the apartment, her light steps echoing down the hallway. She withdrew her key and opened the door, setting down her packages by the door and closing the entranceway behind her. She paused as she looked around.

"Tyki?" she called uncertainly.

There was a sound in the kitchen, something crossed between a yell and a moan. Of course, if Rei had been thinking properly, she would've known quite easily what the cry was about, but Rei was feeling frankly bewildered, and walked innocently to the doorway of the kitchen.

She stopped dead.

Tyki was with some unknown Asian girl. Her clothes were thrown off on the white tiles of the floor, mingling with Tyki's shirt and belt. They were so intimately entwined that Rei wouldn't have been able to separate their limbs according to each individual had it not been for Tyki's significantly tanned skin. The girl's legs were wrapped around his waist, and they were obviously too immersed in their activities to spare enough time and realize that someone had entered the apartment.

"MOTHER FUCKER!" shouted Rei at the top of her lungs.

She didn't wait to see if they were jolted out of their activities or if they had just continued like no one had really interrupted them. Rei bolted out the door as fast as she could, slamming it as hard as she could behind her.

Rei stood there, paralyzed in the middle of the hallway. Her heart was racing as fast as a hummingbird's but she couldn't think straight—all she could think about, could see emblazoned in her mind was the image of Tyki fucking someone…

What the hell had she ever done in her life to deserve all the shit she had to go through now?!

First Kanda, now this, and this was…this was _Tyki_, and even if she was scared of him whenever he made strange advances on her, she still trusted him because of everything he had done for her, but it seemed like this one moment had caused the realization of what _REALLY_ happened behind the scenes during his nightly appointments, and even if she did know from the beginning what had happened during his appointments, she really didn't need to _see_ it, and this time, she had done more than just _see_ it simplistically…

A voice called to her from down the corridor.

"Yo! Rei-chan! What are you doing, just standing outside your apartment like that?"

Rei numbly turned in the direction of the sound. It was Lavi, followed by the entire crew—Allen, Kanda, Kate, Lenalee, and Cross.

"We were all together at the studio, watching your debut!" grinned Allen. "The photos were well-received in general—"

Rei began to shake her head frantically—they couldn't come _now_, Tyki was probably still in the kitchen, on the floor, disgusting, disgusting, _disgusting_—

But the door to the apartment opened before Rei had a chance to form a coherent word of warning in her throat. The Japanese girl emerged first, blushing furiously as she saw Rei, and Tyki followed her closely, his hair messy and damp with sweat. His gaze was rooted firmly on Rei's expression.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," said Lavi, taking into account the entire situation and realizing what had happened. Oh, the observational traits of the Bookman… "Ah, damn it, Mikk, you just…"

"I think I'll go now," said the stranger, brown eyes flitting from Rei's face to Tyki's, then back to Rei's. "…Thank…you, Tyki-san…"

Hurrying in embarrassment, the girl disappeared down the hallway as the rest of the group approached. Rei was aware that Allen was watching her closely.

"Rei," he said worriedly, not having noticed the gravity of the situation and the cause of Rei's pallor, "you're looking really sick…are you okay?"

Rei didn't answer, unable to bring herself to look at any of them. Without another word, she brushed past Tyki, heading straight to her room. She slammed the door furiously behind her, the color returning into her cheeks as anger and disbelief flooded her system.

Rei wrenched open the closet doors and began throwing all the clothes onto the bed; when it was half-empty, she spontaneously went to the bathroom and began throwing all the glassware and bottles of liquids onto the ground, relishing in the shattering sound that echoed in the room.

Not thinking properly, Rei could only understand one thing: she needed to get the fuck out of here.

Rei dragged a suitcase from under her bed and plopped it on the bed, unzipping it and tossing all her clothes in it. The door behind her opened, but she ignored it, continuing to throw a motley collection of scarves into the half-full suitcase. She was making a lot of noise, banging the clothes hangers everywhere, swearing at the top of her voice, wishing Tyki ill-will to the ends of the earth.

Kanda's betrayal didn't seem half-bad now.

She was just cursed to have every relationship with a male fail—other than Allen, of course—but it seemed that she was incapable of looking past the vile, the disgusting, the revolting aspects of the male society—they all seemed out to get her, out to destroy any sanity she had left…

"Rei…" said Tyki's soothing voice behind her.

"WHAT?!" she shouted, rounding on him as she finally turned around, her face scarlet.

"…Please don't shout."

"I'M NOT!"

"Rei…please stop this stupidity, and let me explain—"

"EXPLAIN?! EXPLAIN WHAT, TYKI MIKK!? THE REASON WHY YOU WERE FUCKING SOME GIRL ON THE KITCHEN FLOOR?! OH, I REALLY DON'T NEED TO HEAR THAT, KEEP THOSE NICE EXPLICIT COMMENTS TO YOUR FUCKING SELF, HOW ABOUT IT?!"

"REI!" he yelled, growing angry. "Right, so it might've been a bit inappropriate—"

"A BIT?!"

"Fine, a lot!" he shouted. "But this is my fucking house, Rei Matsumomo!"

"RIGHT! WHICH IS WHY I'M MOVING THE HELL OUT!"

"Stop acting like this is my fault, Rei, you've known my nature since a long time ago—"

"YEAH, I DID, BUT A LITTLE HEADS UP WOULD'VE BEEN NICE, SO I WOULD'VE BEEN SPARED FROM SCARRING MY EYES FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE—"

Rei, her voice hoarse from shouting, paused abruptly to catch her breath, her brilliant green eyes shining with fury and…tears. She didn't notice it herself, her sight occupied with the fact that Tyki was sporting a large and dark hickey under his jaw. This only enraged her to further heights.

"Hate you," she said, her voice shaking with rage. "Hate you, I hate you so much…"

Tyki's golden eyes were undiminished in their famous shimmering, also with anger and distrust. For some reason, Rei was _glad_ he was fighting back—it gave her a reason to just get angrier, added fuel to the fire…

But then that shimmering disappeared, replaced with a solemnity and gravity that could only come with maturity. Tyki approached her slowly, cautiously.

"Rei…"

"Stop it. Don't say my name."

He still came closer, until he was only a few inches away from her. His liquid gold eyes flickered to the pile of combined clothes, accessories, belts, and other stuff on her bed, then back to her face. He brought a tan hand up to her cheek.

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH ME!" she shrieked, jumping back. "DON'T YOU _DARE_, NOT WITH THOSE HANDS OF YOURS, NOT WHEN YOU HAVE A _HICKEY_ ON YOUR NECK!"

Tyki sighed, retracting his hand and bringing it up to his neck, gingerly feeling for the hickey.

"Ah…I thought so," he said musingly. "I thought she left one."

Rei stared at him incredulously, wondering if he was quite sane, and debating whether or not she should go full out with more yelling. She decided against it.

"…Right," she said hoarsely. "Okay, great. I'm going to finish packing and I'm going to _leave_—"

"That's rather pointless," said Tyki. "See, we're leaving for the beach in only a few days—for all practical reasons, it would make more sense if you stayed here for the duration of our remaining time in Tokyo…"

"I don't care. I'm getting out of here."

"We're leaving in five days, Rei, and you'll be rid of my presence in no time."

"I'm not talking about this _house_," she said throatily. "I'm talking about showbiz—I'm talking about this _life_."

"You can't," he said simply, crossing his arms. "The contract, remember? Besides, our impact in your life, short as it was, has been too great for you to completely erase it. Face it, Rei, you're stuck here, with me, with Kanda, with everyone else. You can't get out of it."

Rei let out an agonized cry, knowing the truth in Tyki's words, and yet wanting out with every fiber of her body.

She sat down on the bed, gripping her head tightly in her hands. This was just too much stress, too much to worry about…she was tired of feeling tired, sick of feeling repulsed by everything around her…whoever said that the showbiz world was fun and nice, all sunshine and rainbows, should just jump off a cliff…

And Rei wasn't even _famous_, she was just around famous people, and look what it was doing to her…

She heard Tyki give another sigh, and it was a long, sincere one.

"Five days," he said promisingly. "I won't touch you. I won't even talk to you. Just bear with me for five days…and you'll have a long break from me."

"Break?" she croaked. "We're shooting about _love_, how am I supposed to do that when I…feel like this…"

"I don't know," he said callously. "We'll deal with it later…just five days, Rei…don't worry. I won't touch you…talk to you…"

She looked up at him, her face wet as her emerald eyes dulled significantly. He gave a sad smile and brought a hand up to her face, brushing her cheek very gently, like he always used to, then stepped back.

Without another word, he left her room. Rei fell back onto the bed, her heart gnawing with such great discomfort that she could've sworn she was having a heart attack if she wasn't only seventeen years old…

Tyki's words kept echoing in her head. "Won't touch you, won't talk to you…"

But for some reason, all she wanted was for him to keep speaking with her, to return to the days where Tyki had been her pillar of support when she was so torn up about Kanda, when they could sit and joke like nothing was wrong…

But as she kept thinking, were those days ever existent? Because wasn't their relationship always shaky to some extent?

All she wanted was some stability. Some sanity.

Some return to normalcy. And some amount of hope in her darkened life.

* * *

**Free Talk**:

I have mixed feelings about this chapter. I feel like Rei's being a bitch and that Tyki is OOC. Oh dear. If many people agree, I might just delete this chapter and rewrite it or something. Please tell me what you think. :O

Sorry, no Kanda. :(

If you're wondering about the chapter title...haha, it just randomly popped into my head after I finished typing up this chapter. The two words are actually engraved in one of the bathroom stalls at my school, hilarious, really.

Thanks for your outstanding number of reviews, and please review! :) I love you all.

Love, ~m.n~


	19. The Fear

**Chapter 19: The Fear**

**

* * *

**

_Philophobia: the fear of emotional attachment; the fear of falling, or being in love._

* * *

It was very quiet in the living room. All of them were perched awkwardly on the couches or on the seats surrounding the T.V.

Cross had been the smart one. Upon seeing that Rei was upset, he had announced his leave—immediately. Kate Schrödlich, unwilling to stay as well as she sensed the tense atmosphere that ensued after Rei went back in the apartment, also left.

Kanda was now wondering why he hadn't as well.

Exactly why had he come here in the first place?

Oh, yeah. It was the moronic Brit's fault.

Dragging him along for some stupid "colleague-gathering-slash-socialite-bonding-time." To congratulate Mikk and Matsumomo for their wonderful debut.

Bullshit.

The pictures were decent, but they weren't anything spectacular. Nothing close to it. Lenalee was a hundred times the better model; that was obvious to even the most basic amateur. Kanda's confidence had heightened greatly upon seeing the photos. Rei could not possibly compare.

But no, Bookman thought they were great, and that the entire cast and crew should go over and pay them a social visit, as if Kanda had an infinite amount of time on his hands. Damn it. If Lenalee hadn't given him the evil eye for protesting, Kanda wouldn't have come in the first place. But then again, Lenalee hadn't known that Rei lived with Tyki. She had thought that they were just going to go see Mikk. Really, why would they?!

Her face had fallen considerably upon seeing Rei in the middle of the hallway. Kanda resisted voicing a childish "I told you so."

Right now, the models were sprawled in Mikk's living room, with the moyashi sitting on a loveseat, his gray eyes revealing a great deal of anxiety as Rei's furious shouting tumbled through the walls, joined soon after by Tyki's. Lavi had his head resting on his hands, as if the motion could somehow trump out the elevated voices. Lenalee just looked awkward. And Kanda was annoyed. As always.

The shouting finally died down and the door from the room opened moments later. Tyki walked out, closing it behind him. He looked exhausted.

Lavi wolf-whistled. "Way to go, Mikk."

"What the hell are you all doing here?" said Tyki wearily, annoyance apparent on his features. "If you're just here for some socializing, you'll find that it's not really the best time."

"Well, that's what we were initially after…" said Lavi. "Forgot that you and Rei lived together." A smirk crawled up to Lavi's lips. "Things not goin' so well between ya?"

"Stupidity is a sin, but feigned ignorance is an even greater peccadillo. If there's no other meaning behind your words, Bookman, I suggest that you all get out before I get angry," said Tyki dryly.

"That's a brilliant idea," said Kanda sarcastically, standing up, his hands in his pockets. "Exactly why the hell I'm here in the first place, I have no clue…"

"I'm going to go talk to Rei," said Allen, standing up suddenly.

Tyki's golden eyes landed on the shorter European male.

"You don't want to do that," he said coolly. "She's in a bad mood right now."

"If I ran away every time Rei was in a bad mood, I'd be one crappy friend," Allen snarled in return, setting off down the hallway and disappearing behind the bedroom door.

Tyki sighed.

"Get out, the rest of you," he said tiredly. "I don't have the patience to deal with you all right now."

"She shouldn't be living with you," said Kanda abruptly.

A tense atmosphere fell as Tyki's liquid gold eyes met Kanda's levelly.

"Oh? So _now_ you have some sort of concern for her?" the Portuguese male said. "A bit belated, Kanda."

Kanda retained his silence, cautioning himself. Lenalee's gaze was on his face, warning embedded in her soft features. Not that he needed her unspoken warning. He was anxious to get out of the apartment—who knew how many more slips of the tongue he could make at this rate.

"She has her own place," said Kanda in a steely tone. "There's no need for this…obscenity."

Tyki let out a humorless bark of laughter.

"Obscenity? We're not even _doing_ anything. You saw how much she overreacted—imagine what would happen if I tried to lay a hand on her," he smirked ruefully. "I have a bit more common sense than that."

Kanda snorted. "Well proven by the fact that you're screwing someone in the middle of the apartment when she could walk in at any minute."

"Let's leave," said Lenalee decisively. "What goes on in Mikk-san's house is none of our concern, Kanda-kun. We're being nuisances, staying here."

Kanda glared at Tyki, but gave a curd nod of assent. Relieved, Lenalee stood up, Kanda with her. Lavi remained on the couch, his green eye staring at Tyki intensely.

"Lavi-san?" said Lenalee uncertainly. "Coming?"

"Nah," said Lavi, still watching Tyki. "Go ahead, I gotta have a few words with Mikk."

Lenalee nodded in understanding, then, taking Kanda's arm as if preventing him from staying if he wanted to, steered him toward the exit. The door down the hallway creaked open, and all heads turned to see Rei, followed by Allen, walk out.

"We're going for a short walk," explained Allen to the spectators. "Be back later. Bookman, don't leave me here—I need a ride."

"Yeah, I'll stay," said Lavi.

Rei walked wordlessly past them all, nodding in recognition to Bookman, who had waved to her in greeting. Stopping a few feet from Kanda and Lenalee, she then stooped down to tug her boots over her feet. Kanda found himself watching her, waiting for some sort of eye contact.

It came, somewhat reluctantly. Rei placed her hand on the doorknob just as Kanda did, and from the brief skin contact, she looked up, straight into his eyes. Her gaze wavered, flitting away almost immediately. Allen assertively stepped forward and grabbed the knob, pulling the door open and ushering her outside.

"Ah, Allen-kun," said Lenalee, much to Kanda's surprise.

Allen's cheeks grew pink at her address.

"Er, yeah?"

"…Oh…nothing," Lenalee smiled. "Be sure to take care of Matsumomo-san."

Allen looked a bit bemused by the statement, but nevertheless nodded.

"Sure thing."

The four of them left the room.

* * *

"Why are you still here, Bookman?"

Tyki was in no mood to exchange pleasantries or to explain the situation. He just wanted to be left alone.

"I wanted to ask you a few things," said Lavi.

Tyki rolled his eyes and walked to the kitchen for a cold beer, wincing almost reflexively as he stepped into the room and remembered what had just happened in there. Damn, and he needed to take a shower…

"I don't have the time," he said curtly, opening the refrigerator and grabbing a bottle. "Spit it out or go home."

"Fine, I'll make it quick. Toss me one too."

Tyki raised an eyebrow.

"Didn't you drive here?" he remarked.

"…One won't hurt."

"No. I don't want you killing everyone in Tokyo. You're a bad enough driver anyway."  
"I'm a fantastic driver, thank you very much," said Lavi wryly. "Just hand it over, or I'll be here until midnight."

Tyki sighed and relinquished a can to Lavi, who popped open the lid after a grimace and brought it to his lips.

"Why the hell do I get a can and you get a bottle?" Lavi complained. "That's lame."

"Shut up, be grateful you get one anyway. So spit out what you want to say and go home."

"Sure. You in love with Rei?"

Tyki chuckled grimly. "Does it look even remotely like that?"

"On the contrary, it looks a _lot_ like that."

"Don't joke, Bookman."

Lavi sighed. "You know me, I observe my surroundings extremely well, Mikk. I've unconsciously studied a lot about human interaction…analyzed people's personalities…summed up humanity. So I'm not joking, Mikk. I've been around for a decent amount of time and I think you've fallen for the little bodyguard."

"She's impractical," said Tyki frankly. "Immature…and very arrogant at the same time. There's no possible way."

"…So why'd you go to her room right when she left? It just shows that you care about her to some degree—more so than your…other affiliations."

"Why do you and Kanda both have this notion that I can't care about a person without being in love with her? You're both being ridiculous—I'm not in love with anyone, Bookman, and I highly doubt I ever will be, so just drop the case and get out."

Lavi exhaled again. "You know, I think that after your first time falling in love, you've sort of developed an aversion to it."

"Oh, well-spotted," Tyki said acerbically. "Anything to add onto the diagnosis, love-doctor, or am I good to go?"

Lavi looked at him exasperatedly. "Forget it, I'll just drop it. Maybe it'll work out between you two, maybe it won't. But I do wish you'd slow down a bit, Mikk. Retain some sort of…conscience."

"You make it sound like the entire thing was my fault," Tyki said a bit childishly. "It wasn't. Needless to say, it's _my_ house, she's under _my_ roof for _free._ What goes on…be it in the kitchen or in my bedroom…she shouldn't care."

"Perhaps," said Lavi. "But maybe you…could've been a bit considerate?"

Tyki snorted. "Fat chance."

"Fine, fine…she overreacted. But try and patch things up, would ya? Or this will ruin your photo shoot…"

Tyki let out a breath. And here, they'd come to the finer point of the argument. Exactly how was he supposed to shoot with a girl who seemed to absolutely detest him? Actually, he wouldn't have a problem with it, but Rei surely would, and this just didn't seem like a great start to the next part of the photo shoot…Tyki pursed his lips. And after all the warning that Cross had given him, that Rei was inexperienced…the photographer would have Tyki's head if this didn't turn out well.

"I'll talk to her about it later," said Tyki smoothly, trying not to think about the fact that he'd promised not to talk to her for the duration of their stay in Tokyo. "We'll work it out."

Lavi looked doubtful but didn't mention it further. Instead, he downed the rest of his beer and tossed it over into the trashcan.

"Be a man, Mikk, and get me another one."

* * *

"Kanda-kun, we'd better call Reever-san," said Lenalee dubiously as the four of them stood uncomfortably in the elevator. "We'll get harassed if we just walk out there in public…"

"Yeah," he agreed, pulling out his phone. "I'll make the call."

Rei had been quiet throughout the time they'd all been together, but she suddenly spoke up.

"Just wondering, where's your new bodyguard?"

Kanda looked at her, a bit surprised.

"He's useless. I'm better off protecting myself," he said acidly. "Why?"

"I just thought it was strange that you'd be unaccompanied by some sort of protection. After all, you didn't seem to have a problem dragging me to every little social gathering you had," she said.

The elevator dinged and its doors slid open before Kanda had a chance to formulate a biting response.

"Watch out for windows," Rei said simply, pointing up to the glass ceiling of the lobby. "Bye."

She stalked away quickly. Allen sighed.

"Sorry about that. She's…a bit bitter right now…"

"I can tell," said Kanda. "Tell her to get her act together—she's going to screw up the shoots at this rate."

"Just tell her to feel better," rephrased Lenalee kindly. "I know what happened is probably a big shock for her…especially since she seems to harbor some feelings for Mikk-san—"

"She does not," said Kanda and Allen darkly at the same time.

Lenalee looked taken back at their simultaneous response.

"The day she likes _Mikk_ is the day I…eat my shoe," said Allen. "She can _not_ like him. He's worse than Kanda."

"Thanks, I just happen to be right here," said Kanda caustically. "But the moyahi's right, for once in his life—if Matsumomo ever liked Mikk…that's just wrong."

"How in the world is it _wrong_?" said Lenalee, bewildered. "It's fine no matter who she likes!"

"Even Kanda?" said Allen.

There was an awkward pause.

"Sorry," said the white-haired boy. "Slipped out. Didn't mean anything…I, er, will be leaving now. See you all in a few more days—don't forget to get everything packed."

"Che, you don't need to remind us, dumbass."

"Bye, Allen-kun," smiled Lenalee.

Allen waved and ran quickly out the lobby doors, his figure joining Rei's, who was already waiting for him outside. Kanda heard Lenalee heave a sigh and looked down at her.

"What?" he said.

"Well, it's a bit obvious that Matsumomo-san felt something for you," said Lenalee.

"…A lot of…women do," he said crassly.

"And men," giggled Lenalee. "At so many parties, everyone, even the males, are talking about how beautiful Kanda Yuu is."

"Lenalee, I don't want to be told that I look like a female. I'm a guy. One hundred percent."

"I know!" laughed the Chinese model. "I know…but Matsumomo-san…are you sure you didn't feel anything for her either?"

"Yes."

"One hundred percent?" she said quietly.

Kanda didn't answer. He knew very well that he did feel something for Rei—whether it was still present or not, he didn't know—but he _did_ know that he sure as hell didn't want to see her with Tyki.

"The car's here," he said after a momentary silence. "Let's go."

Lenalee blew out a breath, knowing that he had dodged her question, but did not pursue the topic, much to Kanda's gratefulness. He didn't want to think about Rei right now.

* * *

"Rei, slow down."

"I'm not going that fast, Allen. You're going too slow. You'll never burn calories like that."

"I'm wearing tennis shoes, not boots! It's damn hard to move around in the snow!"

Rei turned around, exasperated, and waited as Allen caught up. When he did, he was panting.

"You need to work out more," she said coolly.

"Sure, whatever," he said with a roll of his eyes. "Let's talk."

"About?"

He raised his eyebrows. "You. Obviously. Let's get you sorted out."

They set out at a slower pace this time, their shoes crunching on the snow. The air was frosty and cold; Rei couldn't wait for a change in the weather, and thus was looking forward to the beach. Of course, that was also because she could get away from Tyki.

She wished she could just take a break from showbiz all together.

"So," said Allen, breaking into her thoughts, "let's work on your…feelings. Are you still in love with Kanda?"

"No idea," she said brusquely.

"Okay…moving onto question two. Are you in love with Mikk?"

"No idea," she said equally quickly and curtly.

"Okay, moving onto—wait, _what_?! Does that mean maybe?!"

"Perhaps," said Rei vaguely. "I have no idea. Really. Because me getting mad obviously means that I was jealous, right? But there's no reason for me to get _jealous_."

"You weren't jealous!" said Allen aggravatingly. "You were…shocked! Anyone would be, after seeing _that_ kind of scene! So just because you were angry doesn't mean that you were jealous."  
"…That makes sense," admitted Rei. "Okay, so what's question three?"

"Do you want to drop out of showbiz?"

"…Yeah. I do. But I dunno if I could. Or would, for that matter. It's become so integrated in my life, I doubt I could get rid of it now."

"Understandably," agreed Allen as they turned around the corner of park. "Besides, you've sort of entered their world now…your Ralph Lauren pictures were nice, Rei."

"They were only decent because Tyki was hissing instructions in my ear the entire time," she said shortly.

"Not necessarily…Shishou liked your physical intimacy pictures too. I haven't seen them though—he won't show me."

"All we were doing was making out—how hard is that?" she growled, stomping extra vigorously on the pavement. "I only had to get used to it, and then it wasn't that difficult."

Allen dropped the subject upon hearing her vindictive tone.

"…Last question. Are you going to let your feelings rule your head and interrupt your shoot?"

Rei stopped walking and turned around.

"What?" she said blankly.

"Let me rephrase it," said Allen. "Are you going to be professional about this job?"

"Well…yeah, don't I have to?"

"If you are, then you better make up with Mikk," said Allen.

"What? I thought you'd be all for me hating him."

"You can't let your emotions take over your job, Rei," he said irritably. "Keep your priorities straight. You're a model now. You can't let your anger for Mikk screw up your shoot at the beach—Shishou will get pissed."

"…So I have to apologize?" said Rei incredulously, as if it were the most ludicrous thing she'd ever heard. In a way, it was. "I have to apologize for getting mad when I saw him fu—screwing some girl on the kitchen floor?"

Her mouth had somewhat of a bad taste after cussing so much in her tirade to Tyki. She felt the desire to keep her language clean for the moment.

"…Well, I mean, that's not pleasant," said Allen seriously. "But you have to remember…well…it is his house. If it were _your_ house, well, that'd be different. But Mikk has no obligation towards you, right? He doesn't have to do anything to make you happy. At the most, you're friends—perhaps," he added sourly. "At most, you're colleagues…roommates. That's it. But if you're just going to stay mad at him…you're going to do really badly at the beach shoots."

"Fine," snapped Rei, annoyed with the fact that Allen was lecturing her and yet knowing the truth in his words. "I'll see if I can sort it out…"

"Good," said Allen brightly. "Oh, and Rei."

"What?"

"Promise me that you won't fall for him. I mean, Kanda's one thing, but Mikk…he's just…_bad_."

"He's not…really," she said, perplexed. "I mean, he's got his faults…but his personality isn't as bad as Kanda's…"

"That's not what I mean," said Allen. "Just don't, okay?"

"…Fine."

They began to steer the conversation in a different direction. But why was everyone—including Tyki himself—always cautioning her against him? Why did it feel like Rei was missing something crucially important about him?

**************

Rei and Allen returned to the apartment as the sun was beginning to set. Rei's legs were burning after walking around in the cold for so long, but it had been a good walk, a good talk…and she was feeling slightly more composed. Anger at Tyki had diminished considerably, offset by the entrance of guilt. Perhaps she had been too harsh…

She opened the door to the apartment. Lavi turned around at their entrance and grinned.

"Hola," he said, beer bottle in one hand. "All better now?"

"Yeah," she said stiffly. "…Are you taking Allen home?"

"Yep," said Lavi, drinking deeply.

"…Did you drive?" said Rei cautiously.

"Yep."

"You're drinking!"

"So?" said Lavi with an indifferent shrug.

"I refuse to let you drive me home," said Allen. "I thought you were a bit more responsible than that!"

"This is Bookman we're talking about," smirked Tyki, his lively gold eyes dancing as his hand cradled a bottle of his own. "He won't pass up a drink."

"Well, how are they going to get home now?" asked Rei.

"I can drive," said Lavi, waving a hand. "I'm not drunk."

"No, but you've still got alcohol in your system," said Rei firmly. "I'll drive. Could I please have the keys, Tyki?"

Her question, overly formal and rigid, startled him, but Tyki tossed them over at her.

"I'll come with you," he said. "You can drive though—I've had a few beers and I don't feel like killing people today."

The question of on which days did he like killing people died in her throat—she did not want to seem amused by his crude humor.

The four of them filed down to the lobby, where the valet pulled up their car. Rei settled in the driver's seat, her fingers drumming the sleek steering wheel. She hadn't driven the Lotus before. This was a bit exciting.

Tyki slid into the passenger seat while Lavi and Allen sat in the back. The car smelled strongly of beer.

"Goodness," Rei grumbled, "how much did you drink? You reek…"

"Not that much," said Lavi, though he was beginning to slur his words. "Couple o' bottles…"

Rei sighed. Models. They were all so inconsiderate.

* * *

"Thanks, Rei," said Allen as he opened the door. "I'll see you in a few days!"

"Bye, Allen."

"Bye, boy."

Allen made a face at Tyki's deprecating address but did not bother to retort; Rei watched as her friend bounded up the steps to his apartment before she pulled back onto the roads.

A stifling silence fell. Rei didn't know exactly what she was supposed to say. She was supposed to apologize, right?

Right…except Rei always was too pigheaded to apologize…

She usually just vented on something solid—like a punching bag—until she felt better, and then hoped for the best.

Obviously, that tactic wasn't going to work this time.

"Tyki—"

"Rei—" he said at the same time.

They both paused. Great, there was the silence.

"You go first," he said.

"No, I'm good," she said, stopping at a traffic light. "You, by all means."

"Ladies first."

"Fine," she said waspishly. "I'm…sorry. For overreacting. I shouldn't have shouted and broken crap and…stuff," she finished lamely.

Tyki looked genuinely surprised at her apology.

"Oh," he said sincerely. "I…it's fine. Of course…I had my faults in this situation…"

"You sure did," she muttered under breath. "But it is your house…you hold the jurisdiction…"

"…I suppose. But regardless…I apologize for my crass behavior," he said with elegance.

"…Whatever. Out of curiosity, who was that girl anyway?"

"Mika? She was one of my nightly appointments who somehow found my living residence…and then she showed up on my doorstep after you left to go shop, and…well, the sexually-frustrated side of me decided to take advantage of the situation…and one thing led to another…you know."

"…Was she in love with you?" questioned Rei with feigned apathy.

"I surely hope not. We'd only known each other for a few hours before…our first night."

"Ah. I see."

They again lapsed into silence. It was so strange. Rei usually didn't have to suffer silences with Tyki—he typically made up for it with his relatively lighthearted mood, but they both just seemed rather down today, causing the atmosphere between them to dampen.

Darkness was claiming the sky as Rei pulled up in front of the apartment. As she handed the valet the keys and alighted the car, walking back inside with Tyki, she voiced a question that she'd been wanting to ask for a while.

"What happened the one time you fell in love?" she queried.

Tyki scoffed. "Do you really want to know, Miss I'm-so-touchy-about-this-subject?"

"In my defense, I think you're touchier about it than I am," answered Rei. "You like to avoid this topic adamantly. Why?"

"Because I don't _like_ it. Because that preposterous feeling no longer exists in me. Because—"

"You're scared of going through the same things all over again," finished Rei. "I get it."

"I never said that," said Tyki testily as they walked into the elevator.

"There's no need to deny it," she said softly. "I mean…I feel the same way. I wish it could just go away…so I wouldn't have to feel strange all the time."  
"…Tch. Still in love with Kanda?"

"Less contact with him seems to make it more bearable. It's getting better. I…don't mind as much anymore."

"Let's see if you still keep that up when we're at the beach," said Tyki. They walked out of the elevator and down the hall. "Kanda will be half-naked, and you'll be feasting your eyes on the eye-candy—"

"Shut up," she said, flushing.

"Hmph."

They made their way to the apartment, once again with that odd quietness between them. Only when Rei said goodnight (after deciding to skip dinner) and was in the confinements of her own room did she realize that Tyki had dodged her question. It unsettled her.

* * *

_Five days later_.

Their relationship was very tentative, very shaky. Tyki felt like he was walking on eggshells the entire time, treading warily in danger of evoking Rei's wrath. Similarly, it seemed that Rei was also very reserved with him. Their dialogue was sparse, overly polite when it happened, and often perforated with awkward silences.

Tyki didn't like it.

The cab was already downstairs, waiting for Tyki and Rei to get all their luggage together and drive them to the airport. It turned out that they were going to the Balaeric Isles off the coast of Spain, rather far from Tyki's residence in Portugal, much to his relief.

"Everything ready, Rei?" he called as he handed his last bag to the driver.

"I'm set," she said, readjusting her bags in her hands. One of them looked like a rather large package, gift-wrapped and everything.

Tyki nodded.

"Then off we go."

* * *

_A few hours later_.

"I love being rich," grinned Lavi. "Private jet…damn nice interiors…we're set for a good time."

"Of course," smiled Kate. "Excited, Lavi?"

"Definitely. But that's because I'm with you, Kate."

Kanda made a face as the European pair kissed and turned the other way.

"Squeamish, Kanda?" said Tyki tauntingly.

"Stop it, Mikk," said Cross sharply. "Grow up."

Their conversation was broken with a loud exclamation.

"Are you serious?!" shouted Allen, leaping back from the package that Rei had just given him.

"Eh?" she said, confused. "Did I get the wrong one?"

"I can't accept that!" he exclaimed. "That costs so much money!"

"…Christmas gift?" she offered.

Allen groaned. "Rei, Christmas was over two months ago!"

"…Valentine's Day present?"

"No one gives out Nikon D3000 cameras for Valentine's Day!"

Rei sighed.

"Just take it, will you?" she said frustratingly. "I already ripped up the receipt, and I can't take pictures to save my life, so you can have it."

"Rei, this must have cost over…fifty thousand yen!"

"I had four hundred thousand to spend, it's not that much," said Rei. "That can be all the gifts for the year combined."

"Rei, I don't know…" said Allen dubiously. "I don't like the idea of you squandering all your money…"

"C'mon, I need to be poor anyway, seeing as there's no point in me staying in showbiz if Kan—" Rei stopped as she noticed everyone listening to her.

"Finish the sentence, Matsumomo?" said Kanda lightly.

Rei frowned.

"Mind your own business, Kanda," she said immaturely, turning back to continue her conversation with Allen.

Kanda leaned back in his seat. He knew that Rei would've mentioned his name in that sentence if she hadn't stopped so abruptly.

He smirked.

Some part of him was glad that she hadn't forgotten all about him quite yet.

* * *

**Free Talk**:

Judging from the reception of the last chapter, I'm guessing a lot of people didn't like it. It's okay, I understand. I think it was one of my worse chapters.

I'm at a Writer's Block, which hasn't happened for this story until now. A bigger problem is that I'm at a Writer's Block for _all_ my stories--I just can't find the motivation to type all the transition chapters...

This is a relatively boring chapter, and I'm sorry for it. :( Things will get better, the pace will quicken, etc with the next upcoming chapter. Please bear with me.

This chapter title was inspired by Lily Allen's song The Fear. Love Lily Allen! :)

I was going to unveil the ending, but then I thought that perhaps this would be better if it weren't unveiled at all. Do you guys mind? Or would you rather me tell you and spoil the ending?

I know that my chapters haven't been up to par lately. I'm lacking in sleep and energy, so please understand. I'm also lacking in motivation because my review count was severely smaller than normal. :(

So please review! And I will hopefully produce something more up to my normal standards. It's just been a hectic and bad week. Please review to make me happier. :)

Love, -m.n.-


	20. Not Right

**Chapter 20: Not Right  
**

**

* * *

** _"OK, it's alright with me  
Some people are scared to see  
what's happening frequently  
but I would never shy from a fight."_

--_Eric Hutchinson. "OK, It's Alright With Me."_

* * *

The group gathered on the private jet was an interesting motley of people. The models and their counterparts: Tyki and Rei, Lavi and Kate, Kanda and Lenalee. Then there were the photographers and crew, consisting of Allen and Cross along with a few other nobodies. The managers of the Asian couple, Reever and Miranda, were also present. And then there was Kanda's awkward bodyguard, who had come along for kicks, with a few of his colleagues.

It was interesting, to say the least, that such a group of people would come to work together. The relationship of unanimous hatred between Kanda and Tyki was absolutely unparalleled…though Kanda and Allen weren't exactly on the best of terms either. Lenalee got along well with most everybody, at least to a degree of politeness, though she and Rei had some bits of tension in their relationship. Cross was indifferent to everyone. Kate only had eyes for the males…mainly Lavi.

In fact, Lavi was the only one who got along well with pretty much everyone. Rei didn't find that surprising: the Brit was amiable and knew how to deflate the heightened tension among them quite easily.

At the moment, Rei wasn't too happy with a lot of people: Kanda's new bodyguard, in insensible jealousy of her old post. Cross, for dragging her out of the country. Lenalee, in ridiculous womanly spite. Kanda, for obvious reasons. And Tyki, again for obvious reasons. So her situation didn't seem all that splendid, as she sat beside Tyki on the jet.

What she didn't know, however, was that it was with these people whom she'd have all the life-shattering experiences in her lifetime.

She didn't know that she'd probably never come back to Japan again. That her previously private life would be lost forever.

That her outlook on both Tyki and Kanda would change to the point where it could no longer be repaired.

But what Rei didn't know couldn't hurt her.

Until it spiraled out of control, and she could choose nothing else but to accept it head on.

* * *

"How long is the flight?" asked Lavi, sprawling on one of the sofas as the plane steadied itself in the air and the seatbelt sign turned off on the television screens.

"Twelve hours or so?" answered Cross, lighting a cigarette and leaning back in his seat. "We're going to be in here for a while."

Rei sighed, slipping out of the couch and onto the carpeted floor of the plane, and leaned her head back on the base of the sofa. Allen slipped down beside her, fiddling with his new camera. Tyki was sitting on the sofa that Rei was leaning against, his legs rather close to her profile, while Kanda sat across the room on another couch with Lenalee. Cross was sitting by himself on a very comfy-looking leather chair, while Kate sat on Lavi in another leather one-seat chair. The managers along with the unknown bodyguards were in a separate compartment of the plane, leaving the "celebrities" alone. Not that Rei and Allen were considered anything along those lines yet.

"Could you not smoke?" said Lavi deprecatingly. "You'll stink up the entire place."

"Let him," said Tyki from above Rei. She heard him shuffle around, then a click as he lit his own cigarette. "It'll make us feel more at ease."

"Both of you are just going to keel over from lung cancer one day," the redheaded model said, annoyed. "Don't blame me for not warning you."

"We won't," Tyki's smooth voice said.

Allen was snapping photos incessantly, trying out the different lenses that had come with Rei's gift and creating much unnecessary snapping sounds.

"Allen," she said dryly, "if you don't stop, I'll take back the gift. At least shut off the shutter sound or something."

"Fine," he said, stowing it quickly away. "It's just that…it's so _cool_."

"It's a bit too good of a camera for you," Cross said condescendingly. "Don't break it."

Allen frowned at his teacher's comment but didn't retort, obviously scared of Cross.

Tyki exhaled, letting out a stream of smoke that hovered over Rei. She wrinkled her nose at the smell. She'd never really liked Tyki's smoking habit.

"I'm so bored," he said, propping his legs up on the table rooted in the middle of the room. "I hate plane rides."

"There's nothing to do," complained Kanda, resting his head on the back of the sofa. "We're going to be here for ages…"

"I have a poker set," offered Allen, withdrawing a metal briefcase from his bag. "Anyone up for a game?"

"…Strip poker," grinned Lavi, nudging Kate so that she got off of him and making his way to join their group. "With _bets_."

"I don't think Shishou will approve of that…" said Allen doubtfully.

"I don't mind," Cross smirked, "but the girls have to play."

"Cross-san!" said Lenalee indignantly, blushing.

"There's no way Rei's going to play," said Tyki, grinning as he slipped off the couch to join her on the floor. "She's too much of a prude…but I'm all for playing."

"Don't underestimate Rei," said Allen in a warning tone. "She's—"

"I'm in," she said wryly. "We're betting all your rich clothes, right? That's gotta be worth something."

"I'm out," said Kanda coldly. "This is stupid."

"I think I'll sit out too," said Lenalee mildly. "I don't know how to play poker anyway…"

"We can teach you," proffered Kate. "It's always worth learning a card game, Lenalee-chan."

"But…" the Chinese model snuck a sideways glance at Kanda.

"It's okay, they won't really make you strip," said Rei somewhat reassuringly, taking the cards from Allen and shuffling them.

Tyki raised an eyebrow.

"You really think that?" he said.

"I'll beat up the first person who makes a girl who's uncomfortable with taking off her clothes strip," said Rei coolly.

"I think I can take you on," Tyki said softly, leaning close to her ear so that his lips tickled her skin. "I'll force those clothes off of you if I have to."

Rei brought up her hand, pushing Tyki away, her green eyes hardening. And while she wasn't extremely happy with Tyki, this suggestive banter was much better than the dry conversations they'd had over the last five days, and she found it refreshing.

"Is that a challenge, Tyki Mikk?" she said. "Don't regret those words when I have you down in your boxers."

"Don't worry, Rei," he said with a seductive smile, fingering a strand of her short hair. "I'll have your shirt off in no time."

"Stop flirting, Mikk," called Kanda icily from across the room. "If you're going to play, hurry up and get it started."

Rei looked at him quizzically, but Kanda simply avoided her eyes as Lenalee looked between them a bit unhappily. Rei then shifted her gaze to Allen, as if asking for an answer to an unspoken question, but the white-haired boy just shrugged.

"Deal the cards, Rei. Let's get this started."

* * *

"And _this_," said Allen with a tinge of malice as he revealed his cards, "is why you _never_ challenge me to a game of poker."

There was a simultaneous groan from the rest of the group as they examined his cards: a royal flush.

"This is so unfair," grumbled a shirtless Lavi. "How come you two have all the clothes?"

"Never say you can beat poor people in poker," said Rei, slamming her cards down on the table. "We know all the tricks of the trade and could destroy your bank accounts any day."

"How much do I have?" wondered Allen. "Lavi's clothes, Kate's jacket…some jewelry…oh, and Shishou's cigar…wait, what the hell is that worth?!"

"You're giving that back in a moment," Cross said sternly. He was missing his belt.

"…Yes sir."

"Man, I only have Mikk's clothes and Kanda's jacket…too bad Lee-san didn't play—I think I could've gotten quite a lot…how much does everyone else have?" asked Rei.

"…Maybe like…oh, your earrings? Those aren't even sterling silver, are they?" said Tyki, eying his sole gain beadily. "And Rei, just letting you know, my clothes alone are worth more than all the money in your bank account right now."

Rei wrapped his shirt around in her arm, jingling his golden necklace at her fingers and smiling. She could smell Tyki's customary cologne from its sleeves.

"Oh, I forgot, I have your belt too," she said, stacking all her spoils together. "Ah…and Kanda's jacket. That's got to be worth over twenty thousand yen too…I'm on a roll."

"Damn," said Allen. "How much are your clothes worth, Lavi?"

"The blazer's three hundred dollars," the Brit replied mechanically, thinking hard, "and the undershirt's about a hundred. The tie's fifty, and the necklace is another three hundred."

"Twenty-four karat gold?" said Allen, studying the necklace.

"I think so. With diamonds."

"Rich people are so _loaded_," said Allen gleefully. "What about you, Kate?"

"The jacket's just about two hundred," she sighed, resting her elegant head on Lavi's bare shoulder. She was rather good at poker, and had only been forced to take off her jacket. "But I rather like that jacket, Allen-kun…could I just pay you two hundred cash instead?"

"Fine by me!" Allen said merrily. "I think I'm winning, Rei."

"By a landslide," she sighed, resting her head on her hands as she studied her cards. "Last round, guys?"

"I'd like my jacket back, Matsumomo," said Kanda, annoyed. "It costs way too much for you to put your commoner hands on."

"I like it," she said simply, putting it on her lap. "The least I could do is sell it to some crazy fangirl. Seriously, do you know how much that'd increase its worth? Exponentially? All I'd have to say that it's Kanda Yuu's, and _any_ girl in Japan would die to buy it!"

"I'll buy it," said Lenalee shortly. "How much do you want it for?"

"…I'm not selling, Lee-san," said Rei a bit testily, her emerald eyes narrowing. "It was just a joke."

"Sorry…but I'd rather not have some random girl have my boyfriend's clothes," Lenalee said.

"I'm not random," Rei shrugged. "And I rather like the style—it's a bit of an androgynous look, no? Perhaps I could wear it—"

"Give it back, Rei," said Tyki, patting her on the head. "If you like it, I'll just buy one for you, but it's probably not good to keep a hold onto Kanda's jacket, especially if his girlfriend doesn't want you to."

"It was a joke," she muttered, but she tossed the jacket at Kanda's face, glad when it hit him in the face.

"Good girl," said Tyki.

"Forget the last round," Rei said sourly, standing up and throwing the rest of her winnings on the couch. "I'm going to go to the bathroom. Tyki, do you want your clothes back too, or do I have to give up _all _my winnings because of some ridiculous morality of yours?"

"I always thought you'd rather see me half-naked," he said with a flitting smile, his golden eyes gleaming. "You can keep them; I'll just get another set out of my bag."

"At least someone's not a sore loser," Rei muttered under her breath, walking over to the bathroom. "Be back in a sec."

* * *

_A few hours into the flight._

It was night time outside. Most of the group was asleep, having drawn out the couches into fold-out beds; they were now sleeping on them rather comfortably. Rei, much to her dismay, was squashed between Tyki and Allen, who had declared vehemently that they wouldn't sleep next to a guy. She sighed. It would've just been easier if all the girls had been grouped on one bed…but Kate and Lavi had claimed a smaller, separate compartment to themselves, and Rei was willing to bet that they were probably doing some sort of more intimate type of sleeping…

Kanda and Lenalee were on the other fold-out bed, (and this, for some reason, annoyed Rei considerably), while Cross had left to go join the rest of the adults in their separate compartment.

Allen was small and thus didn't take up much room, staying still and quiet on his side of the large couch, but Tyki seemed to be used to having another person next to him while he slept, for he had unconsciously draped his strong arm around Rei's shoulders. His soft breathing lingered too close to her ear for her comfort, and it didn't help that Tyki slept shirtless…and thus she was the only one awake.

Or so she thought, until she heard someone from across the room make an audible exasperated sigh.

Of course, only one person across the room could sigh like that and still sound alluring doing it.

Rei shifted her weight uneasily, trying to escape Tyki's grasp. After a few minutes of struggling, she managed to duck under his arm and sit up, panting slightly from the effort, only to see that Kanda was sitting up as well.

"Why are you still awake?" he hissed.

"You try sleeping between two guys," she snapped back, keeping her voice quiet. "Especially when one of them is trying to crush you to death with his embrace…"

She could see Kanda's blue eyes flash in the dark at this, but he didn't say anything. Rei moved gingerly on the mattress, sliding out of the covers and stretching her legs.

"Why are we situated like this?" she muttered angrily. "It's not worth losing sleep like this…and why are _you_ awake? You only have to share a bed with the petite Lenalee Lee! Who happens to be your girlfriend!"

"You sound _so_ vindictive when you say that," said Kanda dryly. "Are you still angry after what happened at the hospital?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Rei snarled.

"Is that it? Or is it because Lenalee made you give me back my jacket today?"

"Your little girlfriend didn't make me give it back," she said heatedly. "It was _Tyki_ who did, thank you very much, so stop getting any sort of stupid idea that you in the slightest could influence me—"

"You're speaking too loudly," he said acidly. "Keep it down."

"Shut up," she said irritably..

"I'm not the one trying to wake everyone up, Matsumomo—"

"I'm not trying to wake anyone up—I'm trying to make you stop being an absolute idiot."

"You really are bitter that you didn't get to keep my jacket." Rei could see Kanda's perfectly sculpted lips part in a smirk. "Get _over_ it, Matsumomo—"

"Sorry that I'm poor—"

"You wouldn't be, if you hadn't blown all your money, but wait, didn't you say that you had to spend all your money because you don't have another reason to stay in showbiz otherwise, especially since _I_—"

"Shut up, you conceited asshole," she said coldly. "That's none of your business."

"It obviously is, Matsumomo."

"Could you possible stop being a douche bag for maybe, I don't know, _the rest of your life_?! I'm so sick of you—"

Kanda abruptly leaned over the table, grabbing her chin and pulling her forward. In the dark, all she could see was his beautiful blue eyes, but all she could feel was his lips, fumbling in the darkness for hers, and finally meeting her mouth with surprising force.

Rei relaxed for a but a second, relishing this feeling, but immediately retaliated, slapping where she thought Kanda's cheek would be. She missed slightly because it felt like she had gotten his ear, but it was enough for him to break it off.

"What was that for?" she demanded.

"…Compensation for the lost jacket," he answered coolly.

If Rei could've seen his expression, she would've known that the kiss had surprised him as much as it had surprised her. But she couldn't see in the dark, and she believed Kanda's cold answer.

"I'm going to bed," she snapped, and without another word, climbed back under the covers, fuming.

If Rei hadn't been so furious, with her eyes glued to the ceiling of the plane as she thought of every imaginable downfall that Kanda could have, she would've noticed Tyki's golden eyes shimmering in the blackness of the room, attentive and watching. She didn't, however, and only when his arm wrapped around her waist did she turn to look at his face, but by that time, his eyes had already closed, as if he had been asleep the entire time.

Rei fell asleep fitfully, dreaming of simply bashing in Kanda's face over and over again with an arm as strong as Tyki's.

* * *

_One hour before landing_.

"Shit!" Tyki's curse rang throughout the compartment. "Bookman, where's my fucking razor?!"

"Look in the cabinet!" called the British model serenely. "And don't scald yourself with the shower; the water's damn volatile."

Tyki swore again, and there was some sound in the bathroom of falling bottles. Lavi sighed exasperatedly.

"And there goes his meds…" he grumbled.

Rei looked up at Lavi as Kate attempted to brush Rei's hair.

"His meds?" she said questioningly. "Why is Tyki on meds? I've never seen him take any pills."

"He's on a few…for unknown reasons," finished Lavi hastily as the door to bathroom slid open and a half-naked and not quite dry Tyki glared at him. "I, er, don't know."

"As you shouldn't, because it's not your story to tell," said Tyki frostily.

"Tyki," began Rei.

"I'll tell you some other time," he said vaguely, turning his attention back to his reflection in the mirror. "Damn, I look disgusting."

"You and Lavi say that quite a lot," said Kate as she rubbed mousse through Rei's semi-curly hair, "but both of you always look amazing, so I don't think you're being sincere about it."

Tyki wasn't listening, rubbing his face thoroughly with a lotion.

"Tyki, why are you paying so much attention to your appearance today?" asked Rei cautiously. "You're usually just like…whatever."

"Because we're going landing in Spain…" grinned Lavi. "This is Mikk's territory…and he has to look splendid, or else the paparazzi will be after him for weeks."

"Oh," said Rei worriedly. "Well…if I'm your partner…should I look better too?"

"Why else do you think I asked Kate to doll you up?" he said sharply. "The photos from the Ralph Lauren shoots were released in western Europe only yesterday, so I haven't heard anything about their criticisms…but once we land and the newscasters see you, they're going to know that you're working with me again, and I don't know if they'll take that favorably."

"Oh," said Rei again, her insides squirming uncomfortably. "I, uh, I think I'll just melt into the background with the rest of the photographer crew, that seems like a great idea—"

"Nonsense," said Kate encouragingly. "I'll just do your makeup and you'll look beautiful."

Rei decided not to remind Kate that the first time they'd ever met, Kate had looked at her with considerable disdain due to her appearance.

"Just let her do her thing," said Tyki, reaching over onto a rack and getting his shirt. "By the way, I'm making you wear cursed stilettos, so be sure to practice your posture as you eat breakfast."

Rei groaned while Lavi laughed.

"Mikk's training you hard, eh?" he said. "But no fear. Any model that works with or under Tyki is bound to have international success."

Some part of Rei thought wryly how she just might be the first to prove that wrong.

* * *

_Landing_, _Madrid International Airport_.

"I'm freaked."

Rei lingered in the bathroom, checking and double-checking her appearance as she leaned heavily on the sink. Kate walked up to her and put a consoling hand on Rei's shoulder. The European woman was actually really nice, especially after helping Rei get ready.

"I know that the fans in Spain are a bit…scary," she said encouragingly. "You have to remember though, this is what Mikk lives through _every day_ when he's back home. Do the least and walk with him as support."

"He doesn't need support," Rei said faintly. "_I _need support. And mental health care. And a million bodyguards as soon as they try to murder me for being near him—oh wait, _I'm_ a bodyguard, maybe I can just pretend that I'm his bodyguard and…oh shit, they already know that I'm his coworker after the Ralph Lauren shoots, and who'd believe me that I was a bodyguard when I'm walking around in six inch stilettos?!"

"Oh, stop it," said Kate chidingly. "You look really, really attractive, all right? Here…"

She brushed a strand of hair out of Rei's mascara-drenched eyelashes.

"Now, are you ready?"

"No," Rei whined.

Nevertheless, Kate pushed her out of the airport's bathroom to the empty room that led to the terminal hall. The rest of the group was already waiting for her. Rei winced again as she heard the screams seeping through the supposedly soundproof walls.

If Tyki had been nervous, he certainly didn't seem so now. Perhaps he had pushed aside his own anxiety to help alleviate Rei's, for he was looking at her with dancing gold eyes and a well-known smirk.

"Rei, you look like you could faint at any moment," he chuckled, reaching over to her and taking her hand. "It's not that big of a deal, really."

"They're going to kill me. They're going to _murder me_ in my sleep…and I'm not even twenty…" she said frantically.

"They haven't even seen you yet! And it's not like we're dating."

"But I'm working with you and I'm completely not worth it, so—"

Tyki slid a finger under her chin, forcing her to look at him. He then kissed her lingeringly, drawing it out for a long while before letting go again.

Lavi let out a loud "Whoot!" and Kate smiled appreciatively.

"Does that make you feel better?" asked Tyki, smirking.

"How do you do that when you just said we're not dating?!" she said, aggravated. "You freaking hypocrite!"

"Well, at least now you have some color in your cheeks. And I got Kanda…" he added in an undertone, his voice trailing off.

Rei looked at him curiously, having not heard the rest of the sentence.

"What?" she said.

"Nothing," he said swiftly, but his eyes trailed over to Kanda's figure a few feet away.

Rei's stomach clenched in discomfort as she also followed Tyki's gaze, but snapped her view away from Kanda's cold eyes as quickly as possible.

"Ready?" said a completely unfazed Cross Marian.

Tyki nodded for the rest of the group.

"Lead the way."

* * *

Tyki could feel Rei's stride grow stronger as they walked down the hallway of shrieking fangirls. Surprising, really, considering that a good majority of them were throwing complete looks of utter disgust at her. She seemed a bit disturbed by the degree of animosity facing her, but a smile remained plastered at her lips, and while her grip on Tyki's arm was rather strong, she did not falter. She was paler than normal, but other than that, she seemed all right.

Besides, Kate had done a remarkable job with a jetlagged Rei. Her verdant eyes were exceptionally noticeable on that narrow face, and her hair, helped by the mousse, remained in perfect curls as she walked with Tyki in six inch heels.

The amount of flashing that the cameras gave, along with the hastily offered microphones, were enough to drive anyone crazy, but Tyki was more concerned for Rei than for himself at this point. He led her rather hurriedly to the waiting limousine outside the airport. A chauffeur opened the door for them politely, and Tyki let Rei climb in first, then followed.

The moment she was in the privacy of the car, Rei fumbled with the coolers in front of her and pulled out a bottle of water. She opened it and drank it hastily as the rest of the group joined them.

"Dehydration," said Lavi seriously, though his features could not hide the effort that it took him to refrain from laughing. "It's a common side effect of being exposed to rabid fangirls."

"I'm never, _ever_ going to insult models again," Rei gasped as she finished drinking half the bottle. "Poor, poor people…I thought one of them was going to pull a gun out and shoot me…did you see that one girl? She had freaking golden color contacts! She was glaring at me the entire time, and no offense, but having _golden_ eyes glare at you is no little problem! It was freaky!"

"Thanks for telling me that my eyes are scary," he said dryly. "But I can understand. It was a bit too much for a first time public event."

"You're whining too much, Matsumomo," said Kanda shortly.

"Go fuck yourself," she snapped, downing the rest of her drink.

The rest of the group seemed a bit startled with her immediate acerbic response, but before they got a chance to question about it, Cross spoke up.

"We're in Madrid…we need to get to the Balearic Islands, but there was no direct flight there."

"We had a private jet, how could we not?" said Allen dubiously.

"Shut up, idiot. We just couldn't. Spanish regulations."

"…Okay," said Allen meekly.

"Anyway, we're going to go to a hotel right now, because I think most of us are tired from a night on the plane. We'll board another plane for the Islands tomorrow."

"Fine by me," shrugged Tyki. "I'm a bit tired. Didn't sleep to well last night."

"Really?" said Rei, her expression less stiff now that the horrendous event was over. "You seemed to be fine last night."

"…Why would you say that?"

"Well, er, you kept…uh, hugging me."

Lavi snorted, but Tyki shot him another glare, and he shut up.

"I tend to do that," Tyki admitted. "But what makes you think it wasn't conscious?"

Rei looked at him warily, and Tyki, thinking that the best idea was just to play it off as a joke, simply said,

"I'm kidding. I was asleep." He then decided to hint at the incident he'd seen the night before. "Was there something I should've stayed up for?"

"No," Rei said a tad too quickly. She seemed to want to do something to avoid the awkward situation, so she drank from her water bottle. Which was conveniently empty, much to Tyki's amusement and simultaneous irritation. He'd wanted her to fess up to him…to open up a bit, especially after he'd helped her throughout the encounter with the fangirls ten minutes ago.

"Right," he sighed. "Well, we all know that Rei doesn't trust me at all, so let's just drop this subject."

"I—"

"Where are we going?" Tyki said firmly, ending the conversation.

Rei exhaled, digging into the refrigerators for another water. Tyki, annoyed, determinedly didn't look in her direction for the duration of the ride.

* * *

_A few hours later. Nighttime in Madrid._

Rei was too awake to sleep. Stupid jetlag. She would never be able to get back on her right schedule like this.

She had hoped that her relationship with Tyki would've returned to normalcy after their humorous innuendo-filled (okay, fine, blatant) strip poker game. But it seemed like it hadn't…though it was partially her fault. After all, Tyki had expected her to be a bit open about her problems…but she couldn't really come right out and say that Kanda had kissed her the night before, right?

Rei walked out onto the patio that connected the suite rooms together. Lenalee and Kate were still sleeping soundly inside the room, which had three entire beds. Kanda, Allen, and Lavi were in one room, while Tyki and Cross were in the other. Rei suspected that Cross refused to let Tyki and Kanda stay together in fear of a fistfight, which would surely offset their shooting schedule.

Rei was too absorbed watching the passing landscape of midnight Madrid to notice someone join her on the patio. Before she knew it, a firm hand gripped her wrists from behind while another twisted her head to the side, covering her eyes. She opened to mouth to scream reflexively but a pair of lips silenced her. The taste of her assailant's mouth was all too familiar: of cigarettes and faint sweetness. The scent, even, simply reeked of Tyki.

Rei calmed down immediately, realizing that she wasn't being assaulted by someone unknown, but her bodyguard instincts kicked in shortly after. She whipped her leg up, wanting to catch him at the hip, but he blocked with his knee and pushed her roughly against the edge of the patio. She caught her breath, taking in the realization that Tyki was being much more aggressive than normal.

"What—" she gasped, moving her mouth away.

Tyki caught her lips again, pushing her head back as his tongue brushed her lower lip lightly. It then slipped into her mouth, exploring intensively, before he finally broke the kiss of his own accord.

Rei was too winded to be able to formulate her indignation in a sentence. Tyki spoke first.

"That was quite the sensual kiss," he remarked, not letting go of her wrists.

"Why…" she panted, glowering at him, "was that necessary?"

"You enjoyed it, no? It was hard not to. And in answering your question, I thought it would be good for us to have some sort of physical connection before our shoots tomorrow."

"Warn me or something! I thought I was being attacked!"

"Really?" said Tyki loftily. "I thought I made it pretty obvious that it was me. And I didn't want to warn you, because then you'd just fall into your 'practice' stupor. I need you to produce real expressions, Rei."

"I—"

"I also wanted to kiss you after seeing Kanda do so last night," he said in a steely tone.

"…What?" she said, dumbfounded. "You…you were awake?"

"Very much so," he answered. "I can say that it didn't make me very happy."

"…But you said you weren't in love with me," Rei said accusingly. "There's no need for you to get angry—"

"Well, I did, regardless of what you say and want," he said chillingly. "Rei. I don't like Kanda. I doubt I ever will. And I'm tired of him playing around with you."

Rei averted her eyes from Tyki's probing stare. Sometimes, she really hated golden eyes. They seemed to be able to X-ray her, revealing her greatest insecurities.

"I'm not afraid of a fight, Rei," said Tyki as he slid a hand up her neck to her cheek. "The next time Kanda touches you, I won't shy away from a fight."

"That will _ruin_ our work," she said angrily. "And that's none of your business, Tyki—"

"It's very much my business," he interrupted. "Forgive me for feeling possessive…but one can't help it once they see how naïve you are. You don't think he really feels anything for you just because he kissed you once, do you?"

"I—"

"I'm going to sleep now," he said curtly, turning around. "You should too. Good night, Rei."

He receded into the darkness of his room, leaving Rei alone on the deck.

Leaving her to curse herself for getting her hopes up.

And to curse herself for perhaps enjoying Tyki's kiss.

And to curse herself for being, simply put, naïve.

* * *

**Free Talk**:

Guys, (actually you're probably gals...), thank you so much for your support despite the boring-ness and lack of activity in the last chapter due to my writer's block. You guys broke your number of reviews for a single chapter, and I am truly grateful for your support, not just for this story, but for the encouraging words that you gave for me to get over Writer's Block.

So here, a tad early for the week, but another chapter. Hopefully you all will find it more satisfactory than the previous chapters. It was more fun to write, and it was basically the opening chapter to a new arc, which I'm really excited about. A bit lighthearted at first, and then I wanted to show Rei's fear of being famous, and finally, Tyki's growing jealousy. No Kanda POV here, but there will be some next chapter.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all, though I'm typing this in the last 15 minutes of Thanksgiving Day, haha.

I'm thankful to you all for everything you've done for me so far. Thanks for reading, for your reviews, and for your support. I truly appreciate it.

If it doesn't sound too selfish, please review again. :) I'd love to hear back from you about this chapter. And I love reviews in general.

Love you all,

~m.n~


	21. Clashing Desires

**Chapter 21: Clashing Desires**

**

* * *

**_"Everybody has a secret,  
But can they keep it?  
Oh, no, they can't."_

_--**"Secret.**" Maroon 5_

_

* * *

_

"This is strange," murmured Rei to herself in the morning. She brought a hand up to her lips as she stared at herself in the mirror, her jade eyes flickering. "This is very strange."

"…Rei?" said Kate, placing a hand on Rei's shoulder. "Are you…talking to yourself?"

"This is so weird," said Rei, not hearing Kate and instead moving her own hand so that it hovered over her heart. "This is…"

"What is?" said Kate gently.

"I don't know," answered Rei, brow furrowed and not quite realizing that she was even conversing with someone. "Ever since last night, my heart's been beating oddly…and my lips…they burn, for some reason…"

"Did Mikk do something?" inquired Kate kindly.

Rei's head abruptly cleared at the sound of Tyki's name.

"…Oh," she said, finally seeing Kate. "Good morning, Kate."

Kate sighed.

"Are you telling me that you thought you were talking to the wall the entire time?" she said, retracting her hand from Rei's shoulder and turning her attention back to her own reflection. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," said Rei quickly, scrubbing her face with a towel.

"Didn't sleep well last night?" said the European woman lightly.

"I, uh, yeah, it wasn't that great."

"Perhaps you met up with Mikk for a midnight rendezvous on the roof or something?" she said slyly.

"No," muttered Rei, blushing. She then added in an undertone, "On the patio."

"What was that?" said Kate, brushing her eyelashes with a mascara brush.

"Nothing," she replied, brushing her teeth.

Kate sighed again. "Hurry up, dear, I need to do your makeup. Though you really need to learn how to do it yourself…"

"I don't understand why I can't just go out in normal clothes," said Rei, eying her selected outfit distastefully. "Why does Tyki always choose clothes that are so…_revealing_?"

"That's hardly revealing," said Kate, now drawing on eyeliner. "It's funny how he chooses your clothes, mm? He seems to like you quite a lot."

"He, uh…"

Rei was saved from a response as the bathroom door opened, and in walked a disheveled Lenalee, who still looked cute despite her morning haggardness.

"Morning," the Chinese girl yawned. "Do you know when we're leaving for the Islands?"

The question was directed to no one in particular, so Kate, the mediator of the unnecessary tension between Rei and Lenalee, answered.

"We have to greet the public and press in about an hour. Both of us have already taken a shower, so you can go in now."

Lenalee nodded appreciatively and disappeared into the shower room, shutting the door tightly behind her. Rei rinsed out her mouth and wiped her face again with the towel.

"I suppose I should get changed," she said, letting out a breath.

"Yeah," said Kate, blinking at the mirror so that her eyelashes didn't stick together. "I think we have professional makeup artists downstairs, so I'll just do your basic stuff and we'll wait for Lenalee and go down together."

"Joy," Rei muttered under her breath, taking off her bathrobe and shuffling through the pile of clothes to take out the strapless dress that Tyki had sent to her early in the morning. It had somewhat of a Gothic style, with lots of frills, red bows, and a red belt around the waist. Relatively cute, definitely not Rei's style.

Rei could see Kate eying her bare back in the reflection of the large bathroom mirror.

"What is it?" said Rei, slipping the dress on. It fit surprisingly well—Rei had thought she wasn't "endowed" enough for keep a casual strapless on.

"Nothing," said Kate. "I was just…wondering…if you don't mind me asking, how did you get those scars?"

Rei looked at her reflection, realizing that a prominent gash was visible on her shoulder blade.

"Shit," she cursed. "I forgot about that…damn it, I can't wear this—"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you angry," said Kate worriedly.

"No, it's nothing, I just can't go out with scars on my back for my first 'press conference,'" she said wryly. "Tyki…he must have forgotten about them."

"Oh…well…" Kate's voice trailed off awkwardly.

"Oh, I never answered your question," said Rei, pulling a jacket that didn't match the frilly dress. "Did you not hear about that assassination attempt on Kanda earlier in the month? I got a bit caught up in the mess…so that's where they come from."

"Wait…Lavi did tell me something about that. He said that someone pulled Kanda out of harm though—that was you?"

Rei nodded in response.

"Why in the _world_ would you do that?" said Kate, looking scandalized. "How could you put yourself in harm for someone you hardly know? And jeopardize your modeling career at that! No offense, Rei, but you're still a newbie even though you're with the international stars, and anything like that could be really detrimental to future job opportunities!"

"I don't know why I did it," she answered wearily. "It was a sort of natural bodyguard instinct…and I hadn't been a model long enough to let my former employer just get hurt like that—"

"Former employer?" said Kate, confused. "You've worked for Kanda before?"

Rei laughed a little.

"You probably don't remember, Kate, but the first time we met was in…December, I think, when you worked with Kanda for Cross. You know, that semi-revealing shoot? I was with Kanda at the time, though you probably wouldn't remember someone like me…"

"No way! I do remember—I thought it was so strange that some unknown girl would be there chatting with Kanda so easily…"

"Yeah," said Rei weakly, "you gave me quite the glare…"

"I had no idea!" said Kate, genuinely shocked. "I'm sorry, I was just…uh…"

"It's okay," said Rei sincerely. "No offense taken. I was a bit awkward in that setting…and no one really knows that female bodyguards exist. And you're a much nicer person than I originally thought, so no worries there." She glanced at the glass clock on the wall. "I should probably go find Tyki and tell him to get me something else to wear…"

"If he can't, you're welcome to my wardrobe," said Kate, gesturing to the closet outside.

"I'll keep that in mind, thanks. I'll see you in a bit."

* * *

Rei knocked politely on Tyki's door. She only had to wait for a few seconds before it opened, and a shirtless Tyki appeared.

Her heart palpitated furiously all of a sudden. She brought a hand up to it, feeling its beat unfamiliarly under her skin. Her brow furrowed. What a bizarre reaction. It wasn't like she'd never seen him half-naked before. Why was she reacting so differently all of a sudden?

"Something you need?" said Tyki smoothly, jolting her back to reality.

"Oh."

"And why in the world are you wearing that jacket?" he said in disdain, reaching out and fingering its hem. "It clashes horrendously with the dress. Which you look fantastic in otherwise, by the way."

"About the dress," she said sourly, slapping his hand away, "I can't wear it."

Tyki arched a perfect eyebrow.

"Why not?"

"Because of this," she sighed, turning around and letting the jacket fall to her elbows.

Rei heard him utter a low curse.

"So as you can see," she said lightly, bringing her jacket around her shoulders again, "I don't think it's that great of an idea for me to go out like some…_martyr_ in my first grand appearance, no?"

Tyki was looking at her strangely. Rei tilted her head to one side in inquiry.

"Tyki?" she said warily.

He blinked, as if snapping out of a daydream.

"Sorry about that," he said, recovering himself. "I was just thinking how cute you looked in the dress."

"…Back to my dilemma, and passing over how I look—"

"You know, you remind me of Road," he said thoughtfully, obviously ignoring her. "This whole dark, Gothic look with a bit of flair, it's definitely her style."

"I don't really think it's mine," said Rei. "And I can't wear this, so can I go change?"

"I don't have any other clothes."

"I brought my own."

"Definitely not," he snorted.

Rei frowned. "Well, Kate said I could borrow some of hers."

"She's five inches taller than you."

"I'm sure I'll find something. So do you mind if I go change?"

"Fine," said Tyki resignedly. "I really wanted you to wear that though…"

"Next time," she shrugged, secretly thinking that she would never for the life of her wear something so frilly again. "I gotta head back then. Have you eaten breakfast?"

"Not yet. I doubt you'll have time, Rei, don't you have to get your makeup done and everything?"

"Yeah."

"Hurry up and leave then," he grinned, reaching over and brushing her cheek.

Rei jerked back at the contact, her cheeks flaring as his fingers twisted with a few strands of her hair. Tyki looked at her perplexedly.

"Something wrong?" he questioned.

"No," she said fervently, shaking her head. "I-I'm going to go now."

Before Tyki could pester her with any more questions, she turned around and left, leaving him just as confused as she was.

* * *

"Kate," said Rei darkly, "do you mind if I borrow your clothes?"

Kate sighed upon seeing Rei's expression and led her to her closet, where she had unpacked all her clothes even though they were only going to stay for one night.

"Help yourself," the European model said. "Did you and Mikk get in a fight?"

"No," said Rei, flipping through the clothes hangers. "I'm just feeling odd. Damn…you're not my size, Kate…too tall and skinny."

"It's okay," said Kate consolingly, helping her look for something. "I always bring a few sets bigger and smaller than my size, just in case."

"In case of what?" said Rei, bemused.

Kate just laughed. "For situations like this, sweetheart. Now here. Go change quickly. It looks like we don't have time for me to do your makeup, so I'll just let the professionals do it."

"But don't we have to meet outside in an hour?" said Rei, taking the outfit from Kate.

"Well, it looks like we're just going to have to skip breakfast, no?"

Rei sighed and took the clothes to the bathroom so she could change. What was _up_ with her today? Reacting so peculiarly to Tyki's presence ever since last night…this wasn't a good start to the day. Not at all.

* * *

"Close your eyes, dear," said the makeup artist, peering down at Rei's face. "I'm almost done."

"Could we not use so much eyeliner?" said Rei apprehensively. "I'm wearing such a casual outfit…"

"Of course, I wasn't using that much to begin with," said the artist sensibly. "Cute outfit, by the way."

"Thanks."

Rei felt the stiff point of the eyeliner draw hastily on her eyelid, and when she opened her eyes again, the artist was already gone.

"We're just going to blow your hair dry and everything will be set," said the hairdresser as the makeup artist shuffled away.

Rei looked at her reflection in the mirror, relieved to see that she didn't look utterly plastic. Brown lip gloss, cocoa eyeliner, faint blush on her pale cheeks…it all complemented her simple outfit of a black bubble skirt and short green-colored blazer covering her top of a white cuffed and collared shirt. Rei hadn't realized how skinny Kate was until she'd tried on the supermodel's clothes; the skirt was especially tight.

"I think we're ready," said the hairdresser, mussing up her hair a bit so that it looked naturally windblown. She then set a green headband behind Rei's ears, taming the top of her head a bit, and smiled. "You look great."

"Thank you," Rei said breathlessly, standing up in her black high heels.

"Don't forget these!" said the makeup artist, rushing back and handing her a pair of earrings.

Rei stabbed herself a few times trying to find the earring hole, but finally succeeded in putting on the Chanel studs. Looking at herself in the mirror one last time, she nodded in appreciation to the crew and scurried off to find Kate and rejoin the rest of the group, who had gone off to breakfast.

In her hurry, she bumped into someone in the hallway.

"Damn it!" she swore, rubbing her forehead.

"Watch where you're going, idiot," said an altogether condescending voice.

Rei scowled upon recognizing its owner, who looked splendid in relatively casual clothes. Jeans and an un-tucked oxford. Her scowl deepened. How come he could look so good when he probably chose his outfit out in two seconds?

"Oh, look, it's the guy whose kiss is worth two hundred thousand yen," she said acerbically. "And I could say the same to you, running into innocent people."

"I'm not the one barging into the hall out of nowhere," said Kanda, catching up to her easily. "And why are you late?"

"Because I got my outfit late, and by then, Kate and Lee had already finished their basic makeup, and so I had to spend extra time in the salon because they had to do everything," said Rei in a rush, checking her watch. "Damn, we're so late."

"We're not late," sighed Kanda. "We're perfectly on time."

"You're the one who said we were late!"

"I only meant that you were later than the others."

Rei frowned at his verbal circumlocution and stalked away quickly in silence, anxious not to stay close to him in case her mood grew worse. Nervous already for the press conference, she did not need another reason to blow it.

Unfortunately, Kanda kept up with her pace beautifully.

They stayed in silence for a while as they descended the stairs, seeing as the elevator was taking too long.

"You…look decent," said Kanda awkwardly.

Rei glared at him.

"You can't form the word 'nice' with your mouth?" she said deprecatingly.

"Whatever," he said, visibly agitated at his slip of mouth. "I'm just saying, since they're obviously not your clothes—"

"How is that obvious?" she said, worried that they were too small or something.

"…The clothes you wear are usually older and darker in color…either that or it's just plain black and white. There's nothing…kiddy, if that makes sense. Innocent is probably a better word."

Rei looked down at her clothes.

"Does it look bad?" she asked.

"…No."

"…Do I look bad if I don't wear stuff like this?"

"…No. I just think this is more of your style," he clarified haughtily. "Mikk chooses out your clothes, right? This is a bit different from his normal fashion."

"He didn't choose it out," Rei murmured, pushing open the door to the lobby. "Kate chose it."

"…Oh. That's probably why then. So either way, you can't choose out your own clothes, Matsumomo?" he said with a bit of a smirk.

"Well, normally when I do, you end up saying something along the lines of 'You look disgusting.' It's rather off-putting."

"It's true though," shrugged Kanda. "My eye for fashion is something to be reckoned with."

"Sure," she said, rolling her eyes. "Because _the_ Kanda Yuu is so good at everything, and he's _so_ smart and we all can't help but grovel at his feet. And hence, his mere _kiss_ is worth two hundred thousand yen."

Anyone could see that Rei was still being incredibly and immaturely bitter about what had happened on the plane. Kanda paid it no heed.

"Well put," he said mildly as they walked up to their group, which was situated in a far corner of the expansive lobby.

Their conversation died as they approached, for Rei pursed her lips into a tight line as she saw Lenalee look at the two of them suspiciously.

Lavi waved cheerfully at them.

"Hey," he said as they neared. "You guys are just on time."

Kanda looked meaningfully at Rei, as if pointing out that he had been right about their punctuality. She rolled her eyes again; for some reason, she was not feeling as jittery as before. Something about the candid banter with Kanda in the staircase, and the fact that he had reassured her about her appearance unwillingly, helped alleviate the horrid butterflies in her stomach.

"Rei, you look so cute!" said Kate, rushing over and holding her by the shoulders, looking her up and down. It was obvious that Kate was still feeling guilty for not realizing that she'd glared at Rei before.

"Thanks," said Rei, smiling. "You look beautiful, Kate."

"She always does," grinned Lavi, pecking Kate on the cheek. "You do look cute though, Rei."

Rei smiled appreciatively, but her emerald eyes had already sought out Tyki's. It hadn't been hard, since he was so much taller than his colleagues, and his gaze had been fixated on Rei since she'd come in.

"What are you staring at me for?" she said. "In such disdain, at that. It's usually Kanda who has that look, not you."

"I heard that," said Kanda in an undertone, and Rei allowed a small smile to grace her lips at the sound of his annoyance.

"I'm not looking at you in disdain; I just…I don't like your clothes," said Tyki, eying her seriously.

"Excuse me," sniffed Kate. "They happen to be mine."

"It's not the clothes themselves," said Tyki in clarification. "They just don't suit you, Rei."

"I think they suit me perfectly fine," she said a tad coldly.

Hearing that the clothes didn't suit her killed any bit of serenity that Kanda had surprisingly given her a minute before. Rei, who had always had problems with self-esteem when it came to appearances, was not anxious to make herself look disgusting in front of a million cameras. Thus, she had actually _tried_ in the morning to put in a bit of effort and work harder for an acceptable appearance. Tyki telling her that she wasn't quite presentable simply made her uncomfortable again.

Tyki's eyes flickered at Rei's tone. "The image I've created for you—"

"That _you've_ created?"

"Yes," said Tyki testily, "that I've created, since I've practically _made_ you. And that image was much more mature, bolder, not this little innocent girl look."

"Thank you for enlightening me on what I'm supposed to be," said Rei acidly, "but since I'm came here with this look, couldn't you have done me the slightest courtesy of refraining from saying something that would make me feel uneasy?"

"I never saw you to be one who would have her feelings hurt easily, Rei."

"I—I'm not _hurt_, Tyki, but you, of all people, should be able to tell that I'm not feeling…splendid right now, and—"

"Fine, fine," he sighed. "I just don't think it's your style."

"On the contrary," said Kanda quietly so that only Rei and Tyki could hear him, "I think this suits her quite well."

"Pardon?" said Tyki, raising an eyebrow in skepticism. "Did Kanda Yuu just possibly _compliment_ Rei?"

"It's better than everything you've dressed her up in before," said Kanda shortly. "She's only seventeen. The Ralph Lauren shoots, and the wardrobe that you've given her…a lot of the clothes are more mature, slightly sophisticated. It's not bad of her to appeal to her more childish side, seeing as her personality is generally very kiddy."

"Gee, thanks," said Rei sourly. "It seems like I can't get complimented without being insulted the next second."

"Forget it," said Tyki coldly, his sentence directed to Kanda. "They're waiting for us. Let's just get this over with."

* * *

Tyki didn't like seeing Rei dolled up like an innocent child. She harbored a much fiercer soul that that, and her persona couldn't be contained by some faint façade, this childish, pure appearance…

But this dislike, bordering animosity, seemed a bit irrational, even to Tyki himself. He, however, seemed to innately know the reason why.

Tyki wasn't a good person, as much of what it seemed to a bystander. He was dark, manipulative, very secretive. Those smiles that he gave to the cameras flashing at him right now, that cheesy response he was giving to that microphone thrust in front of him…so fake. So…white. All of it. And there was Rei…just as white. But purely, genuinely white. Not fake.

Dressed with bold eyeliner and dark colors, Rei had more flair, more charisma. That Rei…the dark Rei, she was more approachable than this…_child_, who was naïve, knew nothing.

Tyki wanted to corrupt her. That was all.

He felt unworthy of standing by her if she was pure and he was tainted, and since he could not change, all he could do was change her instead. Drag her down. Create her to be what he wanted. Black with black. Let this miasma take over her.

If Rei went to Tyki, she'd be stained beyond repair.

But if she went to Kanda, she'd emerge the same as before. Clean. Unapproachable.

What to do?

* * *

"So this is the woman who's gone from a nobody to an international somebody overnight!" said the Spanish reporter, smiling almost disdainfully at Rei, who simply smiled back vindictively. "May I ask, how did this all happen?"

"That's a secret," said Rei, her eyes soft. "All I can say, however, is that I wouldn't be where I am right now without Tyki."

"So it was your connection with Tyki that helped you reach this stage?" said the reporter.

"Rei's ability is enough to stand up on the international stage," intervened Tyki. "True, my image gave her a boost, but I'm quite sure that she would've achieved this status sooner or later."

"I see," said the female reporter, looking a bit let down that she hadn't been given some scandalous background story. "Well, this project, conducted under famous photographer Cross Marian, is one of enormous standing. He's gathered some incredible models: Kate Schrödlich, Lavi Bookman, and the upcoming Asian supermodel, Yuu Kanda, along with his girlfriend, Lenalee Lee. Don't you think that Miss Matsumomo is a bit out of place here?"

Tyki was surprised when Rei answered the question herself.

"Of course I'm out of place," she said, her smile hardening a bit. "Who wouldn't be, among these modeling deities? But I'm grateful to be here, and wouldn't give up my position right now for anything, because I know that there's so much I can learn from these models. I can only hope that once I come out of this project, I can be half of what they are now."

"I…see," said the reporter, staring at Rei as if she didn't know how to take her incredibly generic response, mixed in with a tad of sycophancy. "So, the models are all paired up, right? I hear that Kate and Lavi are a couple, as are Yuu and Lenalee. There have been rumors of you two as well. Would you like to comment?"

"Not in particular," said Rei. "I'm very grateful to Tyki, and I see him as someone very important, but I don't think there are any romantic implications involved."

"Yes," sighed Tyki. "Rei is completely reserved when it comes to anything lovey-dovey off set."

"Ah, right, because you all are shooting on the theme of love, correct? Don't you feel that if there's no romance involved, your pictures won't have the same impact as, say, Lavi's and Kate's, especially if they're in love?"

"Maybe things will change," shrugged Tyki nonchalantly. "There's room for our relationship to grow, which wouldn't hurt. I can't say that romance is completely out of the picture."

Tyki could feel Rei's body stiffen at this suggestion, a reaction that seemed rather out of the ordinary. He glanced at her quizzically, catching her eye. She shook her head imperceptibly, as if warning him not to say anything further about the subject.

Tyki grew irritated. Obviously what he had told the reporter was true. Romance _wasn't_ out of the picture, seeing as that his and Rei's relationship consisted, so far, of a lot of kissing. Why was Rei so adamant to deny it? Was she _that_ stupid? Was she still _that_ in love with Kanda?

"Well, I must say that's an interesting approach," said the reporter skeptically. "But I must say, I'm not feeling that much chemistry between you two…and Tyki, we fans in Europe look up to you for the best of the best pictures, so you must understand our concern about you choosing a…relatively unknown model to be your counterpart…"

Were reporters always this nosy and rude? Tyki hadn't noticed before.

"Chemistry?" Tyki said. "I think I can prove that. Allow me to give you a little preview of your pictures."

He leaned down and, slinking his hand around Rei's neck and pulling her to face him, kissed her briefly, letting it linger longer than a simple peck on the cheek. Rei pulled away, and Tyki could see her prominent glare. Before she could say anything outlandish in public, however, he whispered by her ear,

"Don't say anything. That was necessary."

Rei scowled deeply, her green eyes flashing as her gaze wandered elsewhere. Tyki followed it; Kanda was staring directly at them, and he looked none too happy.

"That was so…cute!" squealed the young reporter, nearly flinging her microphone out of her hand as she blushed, not noticing the sudden rise in tension. "What a sentimental kiss! Are you sure you two aren't dating?"

"Very sure," said Rei in a steely tone. "Are we done?"

"Now, now, Rei," said Tyki, wrapping his arm around her thin waist. "We need to be kind and patient. It's necessary to bond with our fans."

The reporter positively beamed. "Yes, and we love Tyki for his sincerity! Now…"

Tyki felt an unnecessary apprehension. Rei was looking particularly murderous. He sighed. She was going to give him hell after this.

* * *

Rei started her harangue the moment the two of them were back in the privacy of the hotel lobby, away from the cameras and everyone else.

"First you decide to completely destroy my self-esteem before going to a damn press conference—"

"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, Rei—"

"And then," she said loudly, drowning out his interruption, "you decide to kiss me in front of a million cameras, giving me _unwanted_ and _unnecessary_ publicity! Didn't it ever cross your mind that I don't want to be famous to the point where I can't walk in the streets without having some girl try to kill me?!"

Tyki sighed. "Rei—"

"The kiss was absolutely uncalled for, Tyki! There was nothing to prove, nothing to be gained from that! So what if they don't think we have any chemistry?! You could've just let it slide, just showed them through our photographs—you had _NOTHING_ to gain from kissing me in front of a million people except for my undying mortification!"

"It's not a big deal," he said wearily. "It's really not, Rei, please calm down."

He could see her take a deep breath, much to his surprise. He'd half-expected her to continue her tirade.

"I…" She clenched her fists, frustrated. "I can't help but think that I've made some mistake, joining you on this thing. You heard that woman, so condescending…I'm not good for your image, I'm a bodyguard, not a model. I'd rather live a private life than one of glamour, flashing cameras, paparazzi…"

"It's too late for your regret, Rei," said Tyki evenly. "You made your choice."

"I—"

Rei's sentence was cut off as Kate placed a hand on her shoulder and the rest of the group joined them. The European model's beautiful face expressed disdain; her blue eyes looked at Tyki with a bit of annoyance.

"You just made your relationship with Rei public to the world," she said coolly. "Actually, let me rephrase that—your undefined, practically non-existent romantic relationship. I thought you had a bit more tact than that, Mikk. You do know that rumors are going to fly like none other, right?"

"There's no harm done," said Tyki, tired of repeating the same thing over and over again. "I said it was a preview of our pictures—"

"Mikk, _anyone_ could take what you just did and twist it marvelously into a full-blown scandal. Haven't you been in enough already?!"

"Chill, Kate," grinned Lavi. "Though unnecessary, I don't think it's a big deal. The press will probably just see Rei as another one of Tyki's flings—"

"That's an excellent label," snarled Rei.

"—and the entire thing will blow over in a few days," finished Lavi, unfazed. "Why don't you all just focus on your work first? We can deal with the press later."

"I love you, Bookman," said Tyki dryly, grateful that wasn't making a ridiculous deal out of the entire thing.

"Sorry, I'm straight," chuckled Lavi, wrapping an arm around Kate's shoulder. "Game of poker, anyone? We got a couple hours to kill until the plane ride to the Isles."

Bookman. Always the one to deflate the tension. Tyki looked exasperatedly at Rei, who merely shook her head at Lavi's suggestion.

"I'm going to go finish packing up a few things," she said. "Be back soon."

* * *

Rei got to her room, so drained that she didn't even open the door to her room. She simply stood in the middle of the hallway, leaning her head on the cool surface of the door, her hand resting on the handle. Her lips were still burning.

Why did Tyki have to humiliate her in public?

Well, that probably hadn't been his intention, but seriously, P.D.A. was just a no-no. Especially when Kanda was watching.

But Kanda's opinion seemed trivial compared to what Rei was feeling herself inside. She was tired of never knowing whether Tyki was joking or not. Why did he always sneak those kisses randomly and without reason? To get back at Kanda? But exactly for what?

She didn't want to be used as a tool to jibe back at Kanda's pride. She was above that, at the least.

"What are you doing, trying to kiss the door?" said Kanda's smooth voice behind her.

Rei turned around, her expression impassive. Under normal circumstances, she would've frowned and retorted with some witty comment, but after the press conference, her brain seemed to have turned to mush, and she did not reply.

"They're bad, aren't they?" remarked Kanda, leaning on the wall opposite to her. "The public meetings. You always have to watch what you say, in case someone finds the stupidest thing offensive…have to watch what you wear, how you look, how you present yourself…it's draining."

Rei nodded mutely, leaning her head against the oaken door. It was surprising, really. Tyki's presence was normally the one that calmed her down, but it did nothing but agitate her now…while Kanda, who normally ticked her off, was now the one consoling her. She closed her eyes.

"…You say that Mikk destroyed your self-esteem before the conference. Didn't my input count for anything?"

"…It did when you told me it on the staircase," admitted Rei after a momentary pause. "But the moment Tyki said that I didn't look good…I dunno, it just made me feel so insecure inside."

"…You hold his opinion in higher regard than mine?" asked Kanda coolly.

"I don't know…"

She felt Kanda's presence grow in front of her, and she opened her eyes to look at him.

"…Is Mikk important to you?" said Kanda quietly.

"Well…yeah. I'm sort of like his protégé, right? I—"

"I meant something more than colleagues. Something along the lines of…"

"What I felt for you, right?" she said lightly .

"…Felt?" he said, emphasizing the past tense.

"Goodness gracious, Kanda," said Rei with a trace of anger, "do I _have_ to stay in love with you when I'm gaining nothing from it?"

Kanda blinked. "I never said that—"

"You were implying it. Kanda, I bet everything on you! I…I thought that what _we_ felt on Christmas, and in the hospital, I thought it was enough for me to keep hoping, to keep wishing…but it's not going to work out, Kanda. I already know. You're never going to give her up, so there's no point in me staying in love with you!"  
"So you've moved on to Mikk already?" said Kanda disbelievingly.

"No, I haven't just 'moved on,' but…I… I just don't know anymore," she said miserably. "As of now though…I think I'm just going to focus on work."

"…Matsumomo."

"What?" she said irritably.

"You're not…you're not good at what Mikk makes you out to be."

"…What?" she said, stupefied.

"No, I mean that you're better as you were before…before you became a model," said Kanda hastily. "As…a bodyguard."

Rei snorted. "Sure, which is why you criticized my appearance _every_ day I worked for you. I haven't heard you say anything about it lately, so I believe where I am right now is an improvement than before."

"Matsumomo—"

"I'm still a bodyguard at heart, Kanda," she said softly, turning around and sliding her key in the slot. "No worries there. I have a few things to finish packing, so if you'll just excuse me…"

She slipped away into the confinements of her room, leaving a befuddled and somewhat annoyed Kanda in the middle of the hallway. Part of Rei just didn't care anymore.

* * *

Kanda had no idea what he was doing. Why was he always following Matsumomo around? Always…unconsciously. Like he was pulled to her presence. Which was ridiculous, really. And she'd gotten so much hot air in that already inflated head of hers that she was bordering the line of insufferableness…

But hearing that he might've been replaced by Tyki was a bit unsettling. Then again, what had he expected? It wasn't like he could hope for Rei to stay in love with him forever…because that probably wasn't likely, given, as she said, she wasn't gaining anything from it.

What had she meant about betting everything on him?

Some part of him irked that it had to do with Tyki…but exactly what, he couldn't put his finger on…

Kanda sighed, running a hand through his hair as he made his way to his room. They had a while to sort things out. And hopefully, he'd sort them out fast…he was sick of these strange feelings erupting inside of him every single time he talked to Rei, especially when he kept replaying the image of Tyki kissing her in his mind.

* * *

_A few hours later_.

"We're here!" said Lenalee jubilantly, skipping out of the limo onto the sandy beaches. "I love the beach! The weather! It's glorious!"

"You're so chirpy," laughed Kate as she alighted the limo as well. "I suppose that's a good thing though."

Rei put on her sunglasses as she joined the other girls in the bright sunshine, reveling in the good weather. It was warm enough not to wear her jacket…and the ocean looked beautiful.

"And that's where we'll be staying," said Cross, pointing at the magnificent hotel along the seaside. "Ocean view, great food, blah, blah, blah…everything you'd include in a five star hotel."

"I love being with rich people," grinned Allen. "I get to stay in the best resorts—for free!"

"Yeah," said Rei distantly, kicking off her shoes. "I'm going to go wade in the water."

"Wait, already?" said Allen, startled. "Aren't you going to check in first?"

"Are we in single rooms?" asked Rei.

"Yeah," said Cross, nodding. "You should check in first."

"I'm so glad we're in singles," said Tyki. "No offense, Marian, but you snore like you could blow the roof off."

"One of the many traits displaying my manliness," said Cross seriously. "Now get your asses in the hotel, or you can sleep on the streets tonight."

They were just going to laugh Cross's threat off, but upon seeing his throbbing temple at Tyki's insult, they scrambled into the lobby as fast as they could. It was somewhat relieving to see that there was still some sort of authority presiding over the fickle celebrities.

* * *

Tyki lied on his bed, resting. His head was not feeling all that great. He was bordering the edge of dreams and deep sleep when his phone rang suddenly. He groaned. That was Cyril's ringtone…maybe he could just pretend he was sleeping…

Tyki pressed the side button, silencing the phone, and was immersed in only a few seconds of silence when it began to ring again. Letting out another groan, he flipped it open and brought it to his ear.

"Hello?" he said groggily, rubbing his aching head.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" said Cyril in a deadly voice.

"What do you mean?" said Tyki, glad that his pillow was so soft, cushioning Cyril's edgy voice.

"I meant by making Rei a model. By _kissing _her in public! What in the world do you mean to gain from that?"

"It was just a bit of fun, Cyril, no big deal—"

"What are you thinking, making her a model?!" said Cyril, his normally passive voice almost angry. "She's attracting too much attention! She's a bodyguard, not a model, Tyki! How could you—"

"Rei's not entering our family's services," said Tyki coldly. "She's not just some servant, Cyril—"

"I never meant for her to be, but you can't have a famous bodyguard, Tyki, it just doesn't work like that—"

"I don't want her to be a bodyguard. I think she has great potential to become a good model, and I'd rather her be a model than a bodyguard. It's a bit degrading having a woman in our bodyguard services, honestly."

"Her mother was one of the best in our services," said Cyril sharply. "I believe that her daughter would be the same."

Tyki blew out a breath. "I don't want Rei to be a bodyguard. I think she's more…worldly than that."

"This is disappointing, Tyki."

"Hey, you said to bring her home, not as a bodyguard."

"Yes, well, you should've realized that my intention was to make her a bodyguard—"

"Too bad. You get what I give," said Tyki, annoyed and itching to fall back asleep.

"Tyki—"

"Please, Cyril, not right now. My head is killing me."

"Fine," snapped Cyril, which was strange of him due to his standard joviality. "We'll talk about this later."

"Sure, whatever," said Tyki, aggravated.

"Very well. Bye."

"Bye."

He snapped the phone shut and tossed it onto the floor, not caring if it broke. After all, if it did, then it gave him an excuse to avoid Cyril's incessant pestering.

A bit of guilt was creeping into his system. He wasn't supposed to change Rei. He didn't want to. But it always seemed to Tyki that Rei the bodyguard belonged to Kanda, while Rei the model belonged to Tyki…and since Tyki was possessive of her, he wanted to destroy any lingering persona that Kanda might still own. A futile, foolish thought. Rei was Rei. She'd be somewhere in the middle…bodyguard or model…damn, all this thinking made his uneducated brain hurt…

There was a knock on the door.

"Damn it, can't anyone sleep in peace?!" Tyki said loudly.

"…Sorry," said Rei's voice from outside. She sounded surprised and a bit guilty.

"Oh…shit," said Tyki, rolling off the bed and going to the door and opening it.

Rei was on her way to leave, but stopped as she saw Tyki.

"I…uh, it's nothing important, I just wanted to talk to you, but if you're sleeping, that's fine—"

"Sorry," he said wearily. "My head's just killing me, so I unintentionally snapped…"

"Are you okay?" questioned Rei, standing up on the tips of her feet and bringing her hands up to Tyki's head. "You should sleep some—I won't bother you."

"…Could you come in?" he asked abruptly. "Just…I don't know, I'm used to hugging something when I'm sleeping, and it'd be better for me if I could just…hold you or something…"

"A pillow would work…sorry, never mind. I'll come in."

"Thanks," said Tyki appreciatively, leading her in the room.

"How long have you had this headache?" she queried as Tyki lied down on the bed. "Now that I think about it, you didn't seem too good on the plane…"

"Since the end of the press conference," he muttered, bringing her down beside him and draping an arm around her shoulders. "My head's just throbbing…"

He felt her cool hands crawl up to his temples, rubbing them hesitantly. It helped. A lot.

"More," he said, breathing into her sweet-scented neck. "Like you're massaging my head."

"So demanding…" he heard her grumble, but he could tell from her shaking hands that she was unnaturally nervous.

"What did you come in here for?"

"…It wasn't a big deal. Just wanted to talk."

"About?"

"…Nothing," she said, rubbing his temples in a circular motion. "Didn't you say that you wanted to sleep? Go to sleep already."

"…One last question."

"What is it?"

"If Kanda asked you to do this…to go into his room and massage his head, would you have?"

Rei just stared at him. For once, Tyki could not read her face. Bewilderment was the only emotion he could discern from those jade eyes.

"Never mind," he breathed. "Good night."

Her voice was the last thing he heard before his system shut down and he fell into deep sleep. Her slim profile remained protectively under his arms. Tyki didn't think he'd slept so well in a long time. Idiot Rei, coming into his room thinking that he wouldn't do anything, consenting to be his "hug-buddy" and stay with him on his bed…

Sooner or later, he didn't know if he'd be able to control himself anymore. But for now, he'd stay where he was…still, just holding her, and keeping her pureness in tact. He wasn't ready to taint her yet.

* * *

**Free Talk**:

This week has been one of the worst that I've ever lived through. Seriously.

I had originally planned not to update this week, since I was under incredible amounts of stress and everything culminated into this morning's tests and auditions, etc. But I managed to churn out a very long chapter, though I don't know if it will be to your liking. As usual, with the last few chapters, I'm feeling ambivalent about this chapter, and thus, if you hated the chapter, tell me so I could do something about it. When I say this, I'm quite serious. If an overwhelming number of people hate the chapter, I _will_ change it. But I'd rather not. BUt it's important that each chapter is okay...I feel like I've made a few people very OOC.

So please tell me. :) Thank you for your reviews! Of course, reviewing after I worked super hard to manage to update this week would be very nice. And since my next week is very stressful, it might convince me to update next week? :)

Oh, and about the latest DGM chapter...there's a woman involved with Kanda. You don't know how angry that made me. -.- She better be dead. Kanda better be single. Period.

Anyway...thanks for reading!! And please review.

Love, m.n


	22. Wake Up Call

**Chapter 22: Wake Up Call**

**

* * *

**_"I didn't hear what you were saying  
I live on raw emotion, baby  
I answer questions, never maybe  
And I'm not kind if you betray me  
So who the hell are you to say 'we?'  
I never would've made it, baby."_

_--**Maroon 5**_**. **_"Wake Up Call"_

_

* * *

_

Rei had been staring at the same spot on the ceiling for the last…hour? Hour and a half? Surprisingly enough, she wasn't bored. Perhaps it was because Tyki's rhythmic breathing was right by her ear, and she could feel the warmth of his arm around her body…there were little subtleties about him that she hadn't noticed before, like how rough his palms were, how his breaths came at a slow rate of about ten breaths per minute…

She was studying his face closely. His eyelashes were really long…every contour of his face was arched at a perfectly royal angle, his lips were strong and wonderfully shaped, not that she hadn't already known that, given the infinite number of times that they'd kissed…it was funny how she didn't really count the many kisses they shared as anything _real_…after all, they'd just been for work…no sentimentality involved…usually.

Her green eyes trailed down his chin to his neck, and as she was staring at his flawless skin, Rei came across an unnatural bump at the base of his neck, where the collarbones protruded. She leaned closer. So maybe Tyki's skin wasn't flawless, because that ridge was really there.

Her eyes flickered up to Tyki's face, and after assuring that he was asleep, she brought a finger up to the bump, caressing it lightly. It was surprisingly long…she traced her finger over it as her jade orbs looked at it closely. Wasn't that a scar? Now that she was so close to him…it was actually quite obvious. Strange how she hadn't noticed it before. It looked like a knife scar…

Now that she thought about it, she really didn't know much about Tyki. He wasn't really royalty, so what had he been doing before then? He'd been adopted, along with his sister…but why? Weird…this knife scar was really worrisome…

It was so silent in the room that Tyki's breathing was all Rei could hear. Very suddenly though, he muttered something under his breath. A…name? She couldn't catch on who it was…

"…Tyki?" she said uncertainly, not sure if he was still asleep.

Tyki's grip on her waist grew tighter and he pulled her closer. His face was buried by her neck, and very quietly, he said the word again.

Rei must've been deaf, because she still didn't catch what he said. It was two syllables though, judging from the way his lips moved…

She was contemplating on asking Tyki about it once he awoke when her phone vibrated suddenly. Rei jerked her hand up to her breast pocket, pulling it out in an ungainly manner as she tried to move the least she could in order to not disturb the sleeping Tyki beside her.

"Hello?" she whispered into the phone, looking over at Tyki's beautiful face to make sure that he hadn't woken up.

"Rei!" chirped Kate's voice. "Where are you? We're going down to the beach!"

"I…er, I'm a bit busy right now, so I can't come," she said in a soft voice.

"Where exactly are you?" said Kate. "Oh…" Understanding dawned in her voice, and then joined with disdain, she said, "Are you with Mikk?"

Rei involuntarily flushed.

"Uh…yeah, I am…"

"And what would you two happen to be doing?" said Kate severely.

"His head hurts, so I'm just taking care of him, that's all."

"Really," said Kate skeptically. "He's a big man, Rei, he doesn't need you to babysit him. C'mon, let's go to the beach…"

"I'll come in a few minutes…"

"Rei! Mikk is an idiot for making you take care of him when he's _way_ older than you—"

A tan hand reached over and plucked the phone out of Rei's hand.

"I'm only twenty-one, Kate Schrödlich, so if you're going to accuse me of being a pedophile, I'll remind you that Re is almost eighteen, and a three year difference isn't bad at all," he smiled into the phone as his golden eyes graced Rei's.

"Oh shut up, Mikk," said Kate's muffled voice snappishly. "Rei's coming to the beach, and that's that."

"I'm coming too," he said breezily, his hand playing with a strand of Rei's hair.

"We don't _want_ you to come—it's an all-girls thing—"

"Your attitude towards me has certainly taken the turn for the worse," said Tyki mildly. "Is it because I kissed Rei in public? Your reaction's unnecessary, Kate, seeing as Rei herself no longer minds it—"

"She does mind it, you idiot—"

"We'll see you in the lobby in ten minutes," said Tyki cheerily. "Bye."

He snapped the phone shut with a slight chuckle and handed it back to her.

"Sorry for waking you," she said, taking it and tucking it back in her pocket.

"It's all right, I should've woken up sooner, or else I won't be able to fall asleep tonight."

"Feeling better?" Rei asked, trying to push Tyki's arm off her.

"Much. Thanks for staying."

"Not a problem," she said, now visibly struggling with the arm that was pinning her down on the bed.

He was applying more pressure, making her stay where she was. She frowned over at him, noticing that he was smirking, obviously enjoying the prospect of being stronger.

"Do let go, would you?" she said in exasperation, finally giving up and instead glaring at him intensely.

"I'd like to stay this way a little bit longer."

"You said we'd be in the lobby in ten minutes."

"I'm always fashionably late—I'm sure Kate will be expecting that," he said smoothly.

"Yeah, you're evidently feeling back to normal," she said under her breath. "Head's as big as ever…"

"I just wanted to stay here longer with you, is that too much to ask?" he grinned.

"I've just stayed with you for the last hour and a half, looking at the ceiling," she said, conveniently forgetting that she'd been staring at Tyki's face for a good bit of that time. "We've been here long enough—I want to go have some fun."

"We can have plenty of fun by ourselves," he said breathily into her ear, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to prickle. "We don't need Kate or the beach to have fun…"

"Shut up, pervert," she said irritably, pushing his arm off in a sudden burst of energy and managing to finally sit up. "I have to go back to my room to change, so I'll see you later."

"Aren't you lonely in your room, all by yourself?" he said, sitting up with her. "Why don't you just sleep here?"

"In your dreams, Tyki."

"Ara, how'd you know that's what's been going on in my dreams?" he smirked, leaning close so that his breath tickled her mouth.

"It's obviously not been _me_ in your dreams," she said, annoyed, leaning out of the way.

He cocked his head to the side, perplexed.

"What do you mean?"

"You said someone's name in your sleep," said Rei, standing up and smoothing out her shirt. "It was two syllables…but I didn't catch who it was. Hm…I wonder. Perhaps it was Lavi? Or maybe even Kanda…after all, all the females here have one or three syllable names…oh dear goodness, Tyki, this is going to cause quite the scandal, that Tyki Mikk is potentially _gay_—"

"Oh stop it, Rei," he chuckled. "How'd you even know it was a name? I could've been dreaming about…chicken or something."

"That's just too lame of a subject to inhabit _the_ Tyki Mikk's dreams…"

"I wouldn't say that," he said seriously. "A few years ago, before I became a model, I had this fascinating dream about…guns and roses and butterflies."

"Guns N' Roses," said Rei, amused. "That's a band. And an old one at that. As for your butterflies, you're just insane."

"Eh, see? I can dream about weird things."

"A band is nowhere as lame as chicken, Tyki, so I'm afraid you did a pitiful job of proving your point."

"Whatever," he yawned. "Well, go get changed. Actually, do you even have a swimsuit?"

"I bought a few on my spree back in Tokyo," said Rei.

Tyki arched an eyebrow. "They're presentable, I hope?"

"They're Chanel and Coach?" she offered.

"Fine. I'll meet you in the lobby in five."

She rolled her eyes and left the room in a hurry, unwilling to stay with him due to the odd emotions fluttering in her heart. In her hasty leave, however, Rei didn't notice that Tyki had lapsed into a strange silence, thinking about something that obviously wasn't along the lines of chicken, Guns N' Roses, or butterflies.

* * *

So he really had said something in his sleep. Damn. He really needed to get rid of that habit.

Tyki was sprawled out on his bed, his golden eyes staring at nothing. He let out a sigh. Good thing Rei hadn't heard what he'd said…because he knew very well what name he had said, and it would certainly lead to awkward questions later on. After all, Rei didn't know half of what Tyki's past or real nature was. And he'd prefer if it stayed that way.

He sat up and looked out the window. It was still sunny, but the Islands really weren't all that warm in February. He didn't feel like swimming anyway.

Tyki switched his shirt into a looser white cotton collared shirt and checked his reflection in the mirror. His hair was getting long…long enough to tie up. He wrapped the lower strands into a short ponytail and walked down to the lobby. The rest of the group was already there except for Rei, who was probably still changing.

"What did you say? That this was going to be an all-girls thing?" he said dubiously to Kate as he neared them. Even to Tyki, she was looking absolutely stunning—her long brown hair was tied into a loose ponytail and she was wearing no makeup, yet Kate's natural pulchritude overshadowed most everyone. "So why are all the guys here as well?"

"Well, since I heard that you were coming," the European model said icily, "I just invited everyone else."

"You hate me that much?" he said, surprised. "I'm honored."

"Kate's just a bit annoyed with your inconsiderate nature," laughed Lavi as he wrapped an arm around Kate's shoulders. "The rest of us are pretty much used to it though."

"I just think Rei could do better," said Kate huffily. "Oh, good, she's here."

"Hey," said Rei, skipping to a stop as she joined them. She was dressed extremely casually, in short shorts and a loose white blouse. "Everyone's coming, I guess?"

"Yeah," smiled Kate. "You don't mind?"

Rei shook her head in answer and waved to Allen, who waved back.

"You're not swimming?" she asked him, eying his long-sleeve shirt and jeans.

"Nah, I think I'm just gonna take some pictures," he said, bringing his new camera up to prominence. "It's too cold to swim."

Rei shrugged. "It's about twenty-three degrees—that's good enough for me."

"Same here," said Lenalee. "This is heaven compared to Japan."

"Che, girls and swimming…" said Kanda, annoyed. "They just want to show off."

"Guys show off way more than us," retorted Rei.

"You'll notice that none of us are swimming," said Lavi pointedly.

"And all the girls are," added Tyki.

"Men," said Kate crossly. "Sexists, every last one of them."

"Hey, we weren't insulting you!"

"Whatever," said Kate, rolling her eyes. "Let's go, Rei, Lenalee."

She dragged them out of the lobby quickly as the males followed as a group. They skidded down the beach, letting the sand run through their bare feet. Tyki exhaled as he gazed out at the landscape. Spain. This warmth was nostalgic, and even though he'd been in Portugal only a few months before, he felt like it'd been ages. Then again, now that he thought about, he'd only known Rei for that long. It was oddly short amount of time.

His liquid gold eyes watched Rei's profile as she tossed off her shirt and shorts, revealing a black two-piece swimsuit. The interlocking golden C's at her hips signified the brand: Chanel. Lavi let out a low whistle as the group of females approached the water, all clad in nothing but bikinis.

"Y'know, I always think Kate's the best lookin' out of the girl crew."

"She is," said Tyki, sparing a few seconds and glancing at Kate, who had an incredible figure, easily visible in her red bikini. Curves in all the right places, but still slender.

"…But you know…" said Lavi slowly, "Rei's pretty…sexy."

Kanda snorted audibly beside them.

"Admit it, Kanda," said Lavi dryly. "She's gotten way better looking since you first saw her, and I think all that physical exercise paid off—she's easily got the best muscle tone out of the three of them."

"Muscle tone isn't that great of a thing for models though," replied Kanda skeptically. "And I wouldn't go so far as to compliment that she's _sexy_."

"You don't think anyone's sexy," said Lavi dully. "Though your girlfriend's pretty cute, if I do say so myself…blue's a nice color on her. Matches your eyes, Yuu-chan."

"That was one of the least straight statements I've ever heard from you," said Kanda in revulsion.

"It can't be helped that I see you as a girl," sighed Lavi melodramatically. "I mean, come on, I think Rei is more manly than you."

Allen, who was looking through his camera lens at the horizon of the beach, frowned as he heard Lavi's sentence.

"That's not very nice," he remarked.

"Not saying that Rei's manly or anything, she's just got more muscle than little Yuu-chan over here."

"I beg to differ," said Kanda.

"Are her muscles that prominent?" mused Tyki. "I've been trying to let her exercise less, or at least do less intensive exercise, but she refused to work with the five pound dumbbells I bought her…"

"What did she work with?" queried Lavi.

"My twenty pound ones," grimaced Tyki.

Lavi laughed. "Well, I don't think it's that big of a deal. As long as she doesn't have huge biceps or something. Kanda, you should bulk up some."

"You're not much better, Bookman."

"I am _much_ better."

"Before you two erupt in some ridiculously childish argument," said Tyki, "let it be known that _I_ am the best."

"And you call us childish?" laughed Lavi.

Tyki simply smiled cryptically in response, his golden eyes continuously and unconsciously watching Rei as she ran straight into the oncoming waves, the water splashing around her as she laughed. Any dreams from before just flew out of his head, and he was left with nothing as he did nothing but gaze in her direction.

* * *

Allen had been learning from Cross for a while now, and one of the biggest things the world-renown photographer emphasized in pictures was "natural."

Natural expressions, natural causes, natural landscapes, natural emotions. Hard to capture at the right time. Anything could happen anywhere, anytime, which was why Cross always kept his camera with him. The best photographic situations came from the most unexpected incidents.

Allen had originally been planning just to practice how to take pictures of the landscape, seeing as the beach was the perfect setup for landscape photography, but something else caught his eye. As the males talked about nonsensical topics, Allen noticed that Tyki was staring in Rei's direction without stopping, even when he was talking. It was like a…magnetic attraction. His eyes followed Rei as she moved…never losing her.

Allen thought for a moment. Was this what Cross had meant? Magnetic attraction? Wait, but didn't that mean…that Tyki was in love with Rei? The white-haired boy made a face. That was disgusting. He, by all means, would _never_ let Tyki and Rei become a couple—he'd heard way too many things about Tyki to trust him with his best friend…

But putting personal relationships aside, Allen could not deny that the situation was a perfect one for a good picture. Tyki's expression was one of distant longing, almost latent. And he happened to be looking at his partner. Hm. And this picture looked a lot like the one Allen had taken of Rei a few weeks ago.

He moved to the side, unnoticed by the models, who were still saying rather inappropriate things about their female colleagues. It was a bit surprising, the vulgar things that could come out of Lavi's mouth when he was around his male friends. And Kanda was no less of what he normally was: insulting and degrading. Tyki was right on par with Lavi, if not worse. Allen sighed. Good thing photos sometimes gave a false impression of the situation…

Allen trudged through the sand and stopped a few meters away, far enough for the conversation to no longer be audible. He brought the camera to his lens, focusing it on Tyki, but managing to capture Rei's profile in the distance. Tyki's expression was as…forlorn as ever.

Good.

This was good.

* * *

"Rei, hurry up and come out of the water, you're going to get a cold," said Tyki disapprovingly as the sun began to set, and Rei was still in the middle of the ocean.

"Grow a backbone, Tyki, the water's plenty warm enough."

"There are sharks."

Rei rolled her emerald eyes. "There are not. You're just bored because you're not swimming."

"…Is the water really warm enough?" he inquired, approaching the water.

She shrugged, her wet hair clinging to her shoulder in an extremely sensual way. Her skin looked a bit pale, too pale, causing her eyes to be abnormally large…wasn't Rei half-Japanese? Tyki would have to work on her getting a tan…her Eurasian complexion could greatly benefit her appearance.

"It's decent," she said. "You want to come in?"

"It's really not that bad," said Lenalee, wading over to Rei and addressing Kanda, who was lingering in the back. "Kanda-kun, come in!"

"I'll pass," the Japanese male said shortly.

"Kanda's just embarrassed," said Rei innocently, looking up at the sky.

Kanda's blue eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked coldly.

"Well, I don't know," said Rei, bringing her hands up in a typical "I-don't-know" motion. "Maybe…maybe you can't swim?"

"I can definitely swim, Matsumomo."

"It was just a suggestion," she said, a grin appearing on her lips as she threw her hair back. "But you never know…tons of people can't swim, even though they try to appear all macho about it—"

"You—"

"I dare you," said Rei in a singsong voice. "You too, Tyki! What if Portugal's greatest model couldn't swim—what a headline that'd make on the tabloids—"

"You really know how to goad people, don't you?" said Tyki wryly, unbuttoning his shirt and tossing it down onto the sand. "Why are you so insistent that we swim? You trying to get us to strip?"

"Of course," she smiled as Tyki stepped out of his pants, leaving him in nothing but his boxers.

Kate moved over to join them, her perfectly sculpted lips broadening into a smirk as she surveyed Tyki.

"Asshole though you are," she said, "you've got quite the body, Mikk."

"What a compliment, coming from you," he said with a mock bow. "I must say you look absolutely stunning as well, Kate."

Tyki walked without hesitation into the water, soon coming to where Rei was. The water reached his waist.

"See?" she said. "It's not that bad."

"Are you kidding me? It's cold."

"Weak," she said.

"Says the person whose lips are turning blue," he said, bringing a hand up to her lips. "Want me to warm you up, darling?"

"No thanks, I'm feeling quite fine—"

But Tyki could control himself no longer—after watching her for so long as clad in nothing but a scandalous swimsuit, it was hard not to think about anything inappropriate. He brought his arms around her shoulders and pulled her to his chest, causing her to lose her footing. His lips met hers fiercely, capturing them in a kiss. She was such a liar—her lips were freezing.

He felt Rei jerk back instinctively, but his grip on her shoulders was too strong, and the movement caused them to both fall below the surface. Cool salt water washed over them, rushing by Tyki's ears, but the blood pounding in his head was much louder, and his arms reached to encompass Rei tightly, his lips not leaving hers as they resurfaced.

She was gasping for breath, blinking the stinging sensation out of her eyes furiously. She moved her face aside, breathing raggedly, as Tyki buried his face into her neck. He realized that she was gripping onto his neck for support, a reaction that pleased him for some strange reason.

"You are a bloody _arse_, Mikk!" shouted Kate, striding over to them and pulling them apart. "You're trying to drown her?!"

"No," he said defensively, shaking the water out of his hair. "I just…it sort of just happened."

"Just happened?! Kissing her, then tripping her, and then not even giving her enough time to breathe when she resurfaced—that's not a sequence of events that just happens!" Kate spun around to face Rei, who was looking more shocked than anything and had a hand up at her blue-tinged lips. "Are you all right?"

Rei nodded mutely, confusion now settling in on her features. Her green eyes found Tyki's gold ones for a brief second, and she then looked away, looking more bemused than ever.

"…What's wrong?" asked Kate. "Are you hurt?"

Rei blinked, as if she were snapping back to reality.

"N-no, I'm not. I…I was just caught off guard. It won't happen again."

"Well, no one's blaming you," said Kate, shooting a nasty look at Tyki. "Seriously, one would think that at twenty-one, you'd be a bit more mature. You two aren't even dating—what is _up_ with you?!"

Tyki shrugged, more interested in the fact that it was not Rei yelling at him. He easily suspected the reason for Rei's bewilderment—coupled with the strange reactions she'd had as of late, it wasn't hard to put one and one together.

Ah. But this meant…

Tyki snuck a glance at Kanda, whose expression was surprisingly passive. Blue eyes met golden, and in their singular meeting a torrid of emotions was exchanged—an understanding was reached. Tyki was rising in prominence, and unless Kanda did something about it, Rei would fall completely for Tyki sooner or later.

* * *

"What are you looking so damn smug about?" said Rei, annoyed as the group set back to the hotel.

She was shivering, her clothes dampening as the water dripped indecorously from her hair onto her shoulders. The temperature certainly got much colder at night, and she was starting to regret her rash decision to swim—the pleasant twenty-three degrees was now at a cool fifteen.

"You certainly seem to be regretting your actions," Tyki replied mildly.

"Shut up," she snapped.

"Please do," said an equally irritated Kate, whose attitude towards Tyki was bordering animosity. Lavi's blazer was draped over her shoulders, and she looked warmer than Rei. "If you're so tough, give her your jacket."

"But then _I'd_ be cold," he said with the barest flicker of a smile.

"Like I need it anyway," said Rei immaturely, stalking quickly.

She felt someone toss an article of clothing over her head, temporarily shutting out her line of vision.

"I said I didn't need it!" she said angrily, pulling it off her head and turning around to face Tyki.

"It's not mine," said Tyki, his voice now icy.

It was Kanda's. The Japanese model looked at her loftily, his piercing blue eyes gleaming as he surveyed her shuddering figure.

"You're going to catch a cold," he said coolly. "Marian would kill you on the spot if you got sick the night before the start of our shoot."

"…?" Rei gestured halfheartedly at Lenalee. Kanda's eyes flickered to his girlfriend, who was looking none too happy.

"She has one already," he said in the same monotonous voice.

"…Um…" said Rei uncertainly.

Well, she couldn't help feel a bit glad that Kanda was being considerate, but she wasn't exactly keen on being on clearly antagonistic terms with Lenalee. What was Kanda thinking?! Surely he knew that Lenalee would be upset…

"Just take it," said Kanda crossly, evidently bothered with her unwillingness. "Make sure to take it to the dry cleaners—I don't need your 'commoner' scent on it."

"If that's going to be your attitude, just take it back," she said irately, tossing it back at him. "We're almost there anyway."

Of course, Rei's stubborn attitude and pride came back to bite her—hard. By the time they got to the lobby of the hotel, she was sneezing quite considerably.

"Just wear it, idiot," she heard Kanda say, and once again, the jacket was tossed over her head.

Rei was in the middle of sneezing, so she didn't bother replying, and slid her hands into the sleeves of the jacket, wrapping it around her freezing body tightly.

"Rei, make sure you go take a hot bath immediately," said Allen, looking at her worriedly. "Shishou will really murder you if you're sick…"

"I'll…" She sneezed. "I'll get in the bath right away." She fumbled with the key to her room.

"I'll call room service for some tea," muttered Tyki, taking the key from her and opening the door for her.

"This is my room," she said indignantly. "I can take a bath by myself, thank you!"

"See you all later," he said tersely, pushing her in the room and shutting the door behind him. Rei caught the sound of Lavi's laughter before the door shut completely, leaving the two of them alone in the darkness.

"Take it off," she heard Tyki's voice say.

"You mean the jacket?" she said evenly. "I can do that in the bathroom, once the water's hot."

Apparently, that wasn't the best answer for Tyki, for she should've noticed the lethal edge to his tone. His hand slipped in front of her torso and unclasped the buttons, his other hand ripping the jacket off her shoulders. She reacted immediately, smacking his hands out of the way and pulling away from him, leaving the jacket in his possession.

"What the _bloody hell_ do you think you're doing?!"

"Next time, just do what I say," he said calmly, folding the jacket up easily.

"I am not your little puppet, Tyki, don't try and _order_ me around—"

He covered the distance between them in mere seconds, throwing Kanda's jacket on the ground and instead reaching out for her. His strong arms enveloped her thin waist effortlessly as his lips found hers in the darkness.

Something odd was happening.

It was the same thing as the kiss on the beach.

Her mind was clearly telling her to push away. She didn't want this. This was _Tyki_; she had done this millions of times, this whole kissing business, but it wasn't _real_, it wasn't passionate, so why was she feeling this now, this…insane desire to kiss him back, to deepen the kiss to a state of crazed ardency, to run her fingers through his curly hair and down his chiseled chest. It couldn't be denied that this was an incredibly heightened reaction compared to her imagination with Kanda; maybe it was because Tyki just had such amazing sex appeal that she was irresistibly and lustfully drawn to him…she had managed to resist on the beach, but now they were in a different setting, in private, in the dark, in a bedroom…

She unconsciously wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers crawling into his wet hair. His warm mouth touched hers consistently, neither of them taking the time to breathe properly. Tyki pushed her forward, causing her to stumble and to hit the carpeted ground with a thud. Her head throbbed painfully at the contact, but Tyki didn't pause to ask how she was—he joined her on the floor and simply continued on with the kiss, his hands slipping under her soaking blouse and up her toned stomach.

Tyki caught her lower lip between his teeth and sucked on it gently; Rei found herself catching her breath, too winded by the quick progression of events to focus on any particular part of it. This was the farthest that she'd ever gone, this kissing spree that was ridiculously fervent…his warm hands, gliding all over her body, making her shudder and cringe as his fingertips danced like ghosts over her skin. She let out an unwilling moan as one of his hands traced all the way up her back and then trailed down her spine gently, causing her to shiver.

She grew suddenly conscious that Tyki had his hand at the zipper of her shorts, trying to tug them down amidst their frenzied motions. This realization snapped her out of her moment of weakness—Rei wasn't ready for this, for anything that involved removing her clothes—she jerked her head back, swallowing oxygen in large gulps as Tyki simply moved his mouth down to her neck, biting down suddenly on the thin layer of skin that stretched over her collarbones. She gasped loudly, her mind still too clouded to formulate a coherent sentence of rejection; Tyki did not stop, having succeeded in tugging her shorts down her thighs; he stroked her legs lightly, causing her to moan again.

"S-stop," she gasped, the one word taking much more effort than necessary to say. Her heart was beating so quickly, but this was different from the times where it'd accelerate before—this was a physical reaction, an unconscious effect that her body underwent when it came to this kind of touch…

Tyki answered by pressing her firmly onto the ground, catching her struggling arms in one hand and pressing them above her as his other hand reached up to the collar of her shirt and began unfastening the buttons.

"Stop," she said less shakily, her green eyes clearing as she managed to remember where she was, and who she was doing this with. "Let go."

"You want this," he breathed, his voice amazingly husky. It was so apparent, how _good_ Tyki was at seducing people, especially when he spoke like that, in his deep, alluring voice coated with dormant desire and underlying promise. "You want it, Rei…" He buried his face right under her ear, and she felt his tongue slide over her skin as he licked her earlobe. "Let me do this…let me have you, control you…and that'll be it, I won't bother you anymore—"

And it was at this instant that Rei completely broke free of her stupor. She snapped up, yanking her arms from underneath Tyki's and sitting up, her eyes alive with rage.

"You won't bother me anymore," she said in shaking fury. "I'd just be like your old 'appointments,' right, one night stands?"

"I didn't mean that—"

"I don't know what happened just now," she said furiously, slipping out from under him. "I…I lost myself in what you call lust, Tyki, nothing was meant, that was purely physical." She stood up, buttoning her shorts as she made her way to the bathroom.

"Just lust then, Rei?" he said coolly. "What am I, your fuck buddy?"

"Well that's obviously how you see me," she retorted, banging open the door to the restroom. "Get the hell out of my room, Tyki."

"You want it as much as I do," he said through gritted teeth, following her and catching the door as she tried to slam it in his face. "If you really thought that was purely physical, you wouldn't have minded had I just thought of you as a one-night stand—"

"I am at the least above that!" she shouted.

"And tell me how you are," he said in a steely tone. "How are you in any way above that? Because you seem to be forgetting that I know of all your circumstances, Rei—only two days ago you were head over heels for Kanda, and now you don't have a problem making out with me—"

"_What are you implying_?!"

"I'm implying that you need to sort yourself out," he said coldly, cupping Rei's face in one hand and forcing her to stare defiantly up at him. "I taught you about lust and love, and yet even I can't tell what you're feeling for me right now—you say that it was just physical but you get insulted when I said I didn't mind that it was _just_ physical?! Lust or love for me, Rei? I'll take either."

"I am sure as _bloody freaking hell_ that I'm not in love with you! As if I could be! In so many ways, Kanda is damn more considerate that—"

"I don't give a flying fuck what you think about Kanda compared to me—"

"Just forget it! Everything that just happened, everything, all of it!"

"And if I told you that I can't?" he said, his golden eyes gleaming almost maliciously.

"Then figure it out yourself, because I am," she answered in an even tone. "Nothing happened. Now it would be bloody brilliant if you got out of my room right now and made things a hell lot easier for me."

"Women," he sneered, letting go of her face. "Fickle bitches, all of you. You present yourself to be so _innocent_, Rei, but you're just as manipulative as the next woman, exhibiting the same kind of slut-like behavior—"

Rei just couldn't hold it anymore. Call her immature, call her bitchy, call her completely moronic, idiotic, stupid, but the one thing she could not _stand_ to be called was a slut, whore, or anything along those lines, because as of now, she was just _confused_ and frustrated, and the last thing she needed to hear was Tyki insulting in his degrading manner about her _behavior_ when it had been so unconscious, instigated by him, caused by him, encouraged by him. Her hand whipped out and she slapped him as hard as she could, the stinging sound echoing in the acoustically proficient bathroom.

"_Get out._"

"By all means," he said in that same terrible sneer, not even bothering to retaliate her slap. "Don't think for a second that I thought anything of what happened, Rei. I'm a bit more controlled than that."

"_Get out._"

With one final smirk, he disappeared into the bedroom. The thud of her room door shutting followed moments later, leaving Rei to herself in the white-tiled bathroom, too furious to be miserable, and too miserable to be furious.

* * *

What exactly was Tyki supposed to be feeling? Angry? Well, that was a given. He supposed he could've approached the entire situation a bit more professionally, but when it came to Rei, any maturity he possessed seemed to fly out the window, and he simply confronted her like some seventeen year old, love-struck boy. He was above that. He most definitely was. This wasn't his first relationship—he'd had enough from his _first_ love, and this behavior he was displaying right now was much too immature for his taste. He'd have to control himself better…

But God, kissing her like that had made him feel _amazing_, so _alive_. There had been passion, chemistry, lust, unwarranted hunger just mixed in every action that he did…and it wasn't like he hadn't thought about doing anything like that before, and it was just as good as he had imagined, if perhaps even better…

He gritted his teeth. This unexpected development caused him to want to go even further with Rei, not that he hadn't already wanted to, but it caused his desire to grow even stronger…he'd have to control it, as if he wasn't doing that enough already…

His cell phone rang. Road's ringtone.

He didn't even bother picking it up. Unfortunately, it rang again.

"What?" he snapped into the receiver.

There was a slow pause on the other end of the line.

"Fine," said Road shortly, hanging up.

Tyki swore loudly as he leaned against the wall of the hallway, dialing Road back. He took a deep breath. Calm down, Road had nothing to do with Rei. He wasn't supposed to be this angry anyway. He could feel the familiar sensation of…maturity wash over him.

"Oh, now you want to talk to me?" she said haughtily as she picked up on the first ring.

"Sorry," he said calmly. "I was a bit angry at some people. I didn't mean to take it out on you. What's going on?"

"…You okay?" said Road, concern in her childish voice. "You're usually not angry at people…but I heard you got in somewhat of an altercation with Cyril today. What happened?"

Why had he gotten in an argument with Cyril again? Oh, yeah, it was about _Rei_, the root of all evil.

"Oh, I remember," said Road understandingly. "Wasn't it about your little bodyguard friend?"

"Yeah."

"What happened?"

"Cyril's not too happy that I made her a model," he explained. "He insists on her being a bodyguard…"

"Well, Cyril seems to really want to Rei to be a bodyguard. He really likes her mom."

"Liked," said Tyki patiently. "She's dead, you can't use present tense on the dead, Road."

"You can like dead people," she said stubbornly. "I like her."

"Fine," said Tyki, choosing to simply deal with Road's whims. "What did you call me for?"

"I actually called you to talk about Rei."

"…Not the greatest topic in the world right now, Road."

Road sighed. "Oh, you're mad at her? Well, you might want to change that. Cyril mentioned quite often today that he was going to make her a bodyguard, no matter what. He seemed strangely happy after lunch, after he'd been called out for a meeting. I was thinking he was going to do something drastic."

"You're probably over-thinking it, Road."

"I guess so," she said indifferently. "Just thought I'd let you know…in case you got caught off guard or anything."

"We're on the Islands, Road," he said. "I doubt Cyril would fly over here to continue his harangue face-to-face."

"Yeah, he wouldn't," said Road thoughtfully.

"So how are things back in Portugal? Doing well in school?"

"Yeah, it's all right. All the girls are jealous of me because I'm cute," she said, sniffing a bit. "But I get along well with the boys."

"I'll kill the first boy who kisses you."

"Already happened."

"…Name, address, and household," he growled.

"It's not a big deal. It was in a truth-or-dare game. Oh, but when you come back, you have to meet Lulu's fiancé! He's such a nice guy."

"Is that so."

"Yeah," said Road cheerfully, ignoring Tyki's disinterested tone. "He's kinda old though…oh well. Anyway. I have to go finish my homework now, Tyki."

"Good girl. Study hard."

"Jeez, you sound so monotone. Work things out with Miss Rei, all right? When you bring her back home—"

"If I ever want to bring a harpy into my house," he muttered under his breath.

Road ignored his interruption. "When you do, I want to play with her, so be sure to be nice."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Goodnight, Tyki!"

"Goodnight."

Tyki exhaled as he hung up and slipped his phone back in his pocket. He leaned his head against the wall. Was it just him, or did Rei simply invite drama wherever she was?

* * *

Great. So Kanda had called her a slut once. Now Tyki had too. Who was next? Lavi? And then, God forbid, Allen?

What was even worse was that she actually felt like one.

Rei sat in the lobby of the hotel on a bench that was blocked by a large fountain on the side, surrounded by leafy vegetation. There was a strong scent of rosemary emanating from a bush that was getting to her head. Her hair laid limply down to her shoulders as she leaned back against the bench. What was she thinking? She honestly couldn't blame Tyki for thinking she was awful and loose. It was true, hadn't she been in love with Kanda? So why…why did she just react as she did whenever she was around Tyki?

She couldn't possibly be in _love_ with him…

That would just be so…_loose_.

She desperately wanted to talk to someone about how she felt. Not Allen, because he was just too innocent and would completely flip out if he heard that she'd been kissing Tyki for real. She wasn't that close to Lavi, and he would probably just laugh…Kate was a possibility, but she didn't know everything…and asking Lenalee was just about as smart as trying to eat fire. Bothering Cross about it was just a laughable idea.

Why was it that her moments with Tyki that always started off rosily ended up horribly each and every time? When he'd been asleep beside her earlier in the afternoon, she'd just felt so…peaceful. Why was her heart so tumultuous now?

She felt a presence in front of her and looked up. Blue eyes. Damn.

"What do you want?" she said wearily.

"Just wondering if you sent my jacket to the dry cleaner," said Kanda's ice smooth voice.

"Yeah, I did. I'll give it to you tomorrow."

"…Wasn't that the one you wanted from the poker game?" asked Kanda. "The one that I made you give back?"

"Yeah," she said tiredly, her mind obviously elsewhere.

"You can keep it," he said coolly, sitting down beside her. "…As compensation. I feel a bit petty for being the only one not giving up my losses."

"It's not a big deal," she said softly, staring at the fountain of water as it fell in ripples. "I don't need it."

"…Are…" He cleared his throat, evidently feeling uncomfortable. "Are you okay?"

She laughed weakly. "Am I ever? I sometimes think you're the worst thing that's ever happened to me, Kanda."

"That's nice," he scoffed. "I tend to be the best thing that's ever happened to most females."

"You're both…in a weird way," she said, sighing.

There was an awkward silence, as always. But it was surprisingly comfortable, strangely in place. Kanda let it stay that way for a few minutes until he spoke again.

"Want to go for a walk?" he asked.

"Your girlfriend won't like that, Kanda. Be a bit considerate."

"…It's just a walk. She's too busy watching a drama."

"If you're going to keep asking me stuff like this, you're going to make me wonder why you hadn't just chosen me that night in the hospital," she said quietly.

"…You know why."

"Obligation?"

"It's less shallow than simple obligation," said Kanda stiffly, standing up. "Are you coming or not?"

"Wouldn't this just be another…slut move on my part?" she murmured, standing up with him.

"…What?"

"Never mind. Let's go. I need a bit of fresh air."

* * *

Tyki's phone rang again. This time, it was just his normal cell phone ringtone. He looked down at the screen, unconsciously hoping that it was Rei, ready to apologize profusely and make up for everything that had happened, or better yet, continue where they'd left off. Damn…these fantasies had got to stop.

It was Lulu. That was a surprise. He flipped open his phone.

"Hello?" he said uncertainly.

"Tyki. Where's your bodyguard friend?" she inquired swiftly.

Why did everyone always ask about her? Was she the queen of the world, the ultimate topic of discussion, especially when she was precisely what Tyki didn't want to talk about?

"I dunno," he said a tad chillingly. "In her room, I suspect."

"Make sure it stays that way. Don't let her go outside. Better yet, keep her in your room."

"What's going on?" said Tyki, growing alarmed.

"I don't know exactly," admitted Lulu. "Cyril seems to have planned something for her, something along the lines of bringing her back to Portugal now—"

"_What the hell_?!"

"I don't know!" she reiterated. "Just make sure she stays with you—I'll call you for further information."

"How do you know?"

"He told my fiancé—oh, shit, Cyril's back. I'll ask him, and I'll call you—make sure she stays with you."

"Right…" said Tyki to the phone after she'd hung up. "Well…"

There was suddenly an obnoxious knocking on his door. He strode over and opened it, revealing Lavi, Kate, and Lenalee.

"…Hello," he said, mystified. "Is there…a party in my room or something?"

"…Is Rei there?" said Kate, peering over Tyki's shoulder.

"Or Kanda-kun?" said Lenalee hopefully.

Tyki's heart stopped for a split second.

"…Is she not in her room?" he said, already knowing the answer.

Lavi shook his head. "Tried hers and Kanda's room—they're not in either. Neither of them are picking up their phones…well, maybe we can check the lobby?"

Tyki nodded dumbly, feeling apprehension crawling in his chest. They made their way quickly to the lobby, where Lavi addressed the receptionist.

"Hey," he greeted with a brilliant smile. "Have you happened to see Rei Matsumomo or Yuu Kanda?"

_They didn't go outside_, thought Tyki desperately. _They didn't go outside, they didn't go outside, they didn't go outside_—

"They just went outside," said the receptionist brightly.

Tyki's heart plummeted. Shit.

It was going to be a rough night.

* * *

**Free Talk:**

Sorry for the slow update, but I suppose it's hard to come out with a chapter when I had three recitals and a three hour dress rehearsal over the weekend and a two hour rehearsal and two hour concert last night. I'm actually pretty happy I got this out at all this week, haha. I had so much music bombarded into me that I thought I'd just start randomly bursting into song...not that I don't do that already .

So! Quite the eventful and rather important chapter. I actually liked it, even though there might've been large bouts of OOC-ness and "bitch-alert." Nevertheless, I did like the chapter. I really hope you did too, and that the bipolarity and drama didn't upset you. I have to apologize for the language as well--it was a bit vulgar this time around. And slightly more...romantic. About that part:

Kanda and Tyki have just stark contrasts in character. Kanda is associated with light, purity, innocence, and Rei's bodyguard side, because that's what she started off with. Tyki, on the other hand, represents corruption, darkness, sadness, drama, and the model side of Rei, because that's what she was changed into because of him. So when Rei's with Tyki, things will be much less innocent--most of the time, lust above love will be involved.

I don't know if that made any sense to anyone. You probably just think I'm crazy. Or maybe you just hate Rei for being slightly (or blatantly) two-timerish. I'm sorry about that, but I don't intend to make Rei perfect. She's going to succumb to her desires and her confusion, and she's not going to be a consistent "goody-goody." But she's not going to waver once she enters the real relationship--it's just right now, she's confused because she doesn't know if she's in love with Tyki or Kanda, and she feels like a horrible person for wavering.

Sorry for explaining so much. I hope that if you didn't like the chapter, this Free Talk alleviated your hatred a bit? Eek, I'm just really worried that you guys won't like this chapter.

As you can see, I'm on a Maroon 5 streak. Many chapter quotes will come from their songs--they're so good.

Anyway, thank you for your reviews last chapter, and please review again! Or if you didn't last chapter, please review this chapter! I made it super long, if that counts for anything!

Happy Holidays, and I wish everyone well during this exam week!

Love,

*~m.n~*


	23. The Unknown

**Chapter 23: The Unknown**

**

* * *

**_"What if I got it wrong?  
And no poem or song..  
Could put right what I got wrong,  
Or make you feel I belong  
What if you should decide  
That you don't want me there by your side  
That you don't want me there in your life."_

_--**Coldplay. **"What If"_

_

* * *

_

"People are staring at you," said Rei dryly as the two of them walked on the sidewalk next to a crowded street.

"They're staring at _you_," Kanda retorted, though he sped up his pace a bit.

"Do tell me why they would be staring at _me_ when the god of Oriental beauty is right here," she said with a large dose of sarcasm. "And are you sure that you're going to be okay without your bodyguard in public?"

"This is Europe; I'm not that well-known here. Besides, my new bodyguard's useless, and I'm not unduly worried about being attacked because you're right here."

"I'm not your bodyguard—"

"And thanks to Mikk's stupid antic today at the press conference, your face is going to be familiar to all the locals. In case you're forgetting, Matsumomo, Mikk and Bookman are the modeling deities here, and anything having to do with a relationship concerning them is going to be gossiped about. Pull your hood over your head, would you?"

"But that looks even more suspicious," she mumbled, simply drawing her muffler around her chin. "I'm not even famous…"

They continued on in silence for a few minutes, trying to move inconspicuously, but Oriental faces weren't common in Spain, and every gaze on them lingered for longer than necessary. Rei unconsciously drew closer to Kanda, trying to blend in with his shadow, especially as she saw more than a few girls glare at her.

"What did I do to deserve this?" she muttered, drawing her jacket around her body tightly.

"Kiss Mikk," said Kanda tersely. "What did you expect? That you could just walk out on the streets without being recognized?"

"You were the one who suggested going on a walk!"

"My bad," he said coolly. "I wanted to talk."

Rei's stomach lurched unpleasantly. He wanted to talk? About what? Well, that was a bit obvious…

"If it's about our relationship, I don't really…want to talk about it," she said quietly. "It should be clear to the both of us that it's not going to work out—you won't break up with Lee, and I'm not going to keep chasing after you. Obstinate though I am, I try not to be pathetic."

He didn't answer to that, but instead grabbed onto her hand and pulled her away from the increasing number of people approaching them. They broke into a mutual run, finally arriving at a secluded pathway in the middle of some forest-like terrain, where they slowed down. She became hyperaware that they were alone.

"…You…can let go now," said Rei, pulling her hand away slightly.

She thought that his grip on her wrist tightened for an infinitesimal moment, and then he let go. Their pace slowed down almost to a trudge as Kanda turned to look down at her, his sapphire eyes gleaming in the darkness.

"So let's create a simulation," he said, his ice smooth voice as familiar as ever. "Say I did break up with Lenalee. What would you do?"

"…Is this the part where I say that I'd gladly jump into your arms and go riding off with you on a white horse into the sunset?"

"The sarcasm isn't appreciated, Matsumomo," he said wryly, though Rei could see the hints of a smirk tug at the corner of his lips.

"I wouldn't do anything," she said simply, stepping a few feet away from him. "Because that's all this is—a simulation. We both know that it'll never happen. And even if you did break up with her…" Rei lapsed up in a sudden silence as she remembered what had happened only an hour or so earlier in her room: the less than innocent activities with Tyki, the tumultuous emotions that now crept into her chest whenever she saw him…the taste of his mouth, his smoky scent, every well-defined muscle that pressed against her body when he embraced her…

"Matsumomo, you're blushing like a moron."

Rei blinked, jolted out of a particularly unclean memory.

"Oh. Sorry. I meant, even if you did break up with Lenalee…I can't…really…um…"

"Guarantee anything," finished Kanda coolly for her. "Meaning that you've probably fallen for Mikk."

"I have, in _no_ way, said that," she said in an equally unpleasant tone as the less happy memories of earlier in the evening flooded her mind. "He…I don't like him that way. Maybe it's just physical or something, any attraction that we have, I mean, it's not…it's not like what I felt for you, and if what I felt for you was love, then I don't think this is it. And _he_ definitely doesn't see me that way, definitely not, because he just sees every woman in the world as some sort of island to be conquered, or—"

"Shut up," he said deprecatingly.

Rei continued rambling. "And I guess it doesn't really help that I haven't got any experience when it comes to romance, and that Tyki has incredible sex appeal, so maybe it's just this like…magnetic attraction where I just sorta gravitate to him because he's so…exotic and—"

Kanda brought a hand up over her mouth, stopping her incessant speech.

"Shut up," he repeated, his eyes glittering strangely. "I don't need to hear that."

She pulled his hand away from her mouth, glaring at him.

"What's the point of coming out and talking, Kanda?" she sighed, running a hand through her hair. "We're just going to snap at each other, like we always do…"

"Do you really like him?" he demanded.

"Haven't I already made it clear that I _don't_? Or more or less don't know," she added in an undertone.

Kanda had probably heard her entire statement, for he pushed her against a tree, his expression almost menacing.

"What do you want?" said Rei, undeterred.

"I don't know," he said harshly. "Part of me, the illogical, rash, stupid part of me—"

"In other words, ninety-nine percent of you—"

All Rei heard was an aggravated "_Shut up_" before she felt Kanda kiss her fervently, one of his hands brushing around her neck as he pressed her against the tree. Rei moved aside immediately, breaking off the kiss.

"Stop it," she snapped. "Don't do stuff like that if you don't mean it!"

"I mean it!" he nearly shouted, his blue eyes piercing her green ones. "I don't know—some part of me just wants you…and I start thinking about all this crazy shit, like what would happen if me and Lenalee _weren't_ dating, if…how _you_ would somehow factor in my life…I…"

He blew out an incredibly annoyed breath, leaning away from her and bringing a hand up to his face. When he started to speak again, he spoke in Japanese, reverting back to his native language as his emotions grew more chaotic.

"I'd just rather not see you with anyone else," he said quietly. "Mikk's…he's not good, and…shit, I'm not good either…part of me regrets bringing you in this kind of world…I—"

"You make it seem like everything's your fault," she said shortly, answering in Japanese as well. "It's not. I'm not a saint, Kanda. Would a saint consent to going on a walk with you—alone—even though she knew you had a girlfriend? A lot of this is my fault too—I should've kept my attitude professional, strictly between employer and employee when I was working for you…and I shouldn't have been _immature_ enough to make a deal with Tyki to get back at you—"

"…You did _what_?" said Kanda in a deadly tone.

"Nothing," she said quickly, cursing herself for her slip of tongue.

"Say that again," he said, leaning close to her again. "You made a deal with Mikk. What was the deal? What's involved? How much money?"

"That's none of your business—"

"What are you giving to him in return?" he demanded. "What are you selling? Your body? Your pride?"

"What are you talking about, Kanda?" said Rei, half-amused, half-wary. "I'm surely _not _selling myself, you idiot—"

"He's changed you," said Kanda callously. "You…you're no longer the disheveled, stupid Matsumomo that first walked into my office—"

"Well when you put it that way, I'm glad that I did change," said Rei coolly.

"But back then you had pride! You were a bodyguard—anything I said, you'd just shoot down if you didn't agree—"

"I still do that!"

"Maybe for me, but not with Mikk," snarled Kanda. "You just agree with him, just follow him around—"

"In case you haven't noticed, Tyki and I are currently not on the best of terms, so describing me as this flattering sycophant isn't going to get you anywhere," she snapped. "Let's leave him out on this and return this conversation to what it was supposed to be about: me and you." She took a step forward, forcing him back a bit. "Let's get this straight. I did love you. Had you told me all this two weeks ago, I would've been the happiest girl alive. Had you created the simulation that you'd break up with Lenalee and asked me the same question, I really would've said something along the lines of 'jumping into your arms' and going out with you. But I've changed, Kanda. _You've_ changed! We can't be like this, trying to work this out when it's not going to!"

"Then back off," he said coldly. "At…at the very least, don't go out with Mikk…not until I get myself sorted out."

"And when would that be?" she asked helplessly. "Kanda, you telling me all this isn't helping _me_ sort myself out either!"

"I—"

A blinding light flashed in front of them, cutting Kanda's sentence off. Rei reacted reflexively, stepping out onto the pathway and pushing Kanda behind her.

"Rei Matsumomo?" an unfamiliar voice said gruffly. Its owner waved his flashlight around, revealing that he was backed by several men like him: clad in black and masked.

"What do you want?" she said breathlessly, her grip on Kanda's arm growing tighter as she remembered that she did not have a weapon on her.

"Come with us."

"Why do you want her?" said Kanda icily.

"Stay out of this, boy."

Rei heard movement behind them and turned around halfway, noting another three or four black-clad men join them from behind.

"…Cell phone," she breathed to Kanda.

"Left it," he said through gritted teeth.

"Shit…" She had as well.

"Were you hired by some ridiculous fan who's out to kill me because Tyki kissed me in public?" she questioned the unknown assailant.

There was a deep-throated chuckle.

"We were not hired for so petty a reason," he said. "We're not here to harm you, simply bring you back to our boss."

"Let me guess," said Kanda. "You're part of the Spanish Mafia."

There was a short silence before the masked man answered.

"…You…are Yuu Kanda. I should've known. Get the girl. Kill the boy."

They rushed in from behind; Rei whipped around, pulling Kanda behind her as she brought her foot crashing down on the first attacker's head. He crumpled to the ground, but Rei didn't spend a split second pondering whether or not he was knocked out; she balanced herself on the crumbled body and whipped her legs out, slamming them into the next two men's heads at the same time. As she landed on the ground, she dug into their pockets, withdrawing two pistols.

"Catch," she said, tossing one over to Kanda and cocking hers, pointing it in front of her.

"You are quite the bodyguard," the main leader mused. "Everything that Boss said."

"Get the hell out of our way," she snarled. "If you think that I won't shoot, you're dead wrong."

The man wasn't listening to her; he was muttering to his two lackeys in quick Spanish, his voice harsh and threatening. Rei moved closer to Kanda, her breathing shallow.

"Make a run for it," she said very softly. "On three. One…"

"Three!" he said loudly, turning immediately around, grabbing her hand, and running instantly.

"Are you an idiot?!" she shouted, nearly tripping over a root as she ran while looking over her shoulder. "That wasn't the wisest course of action, you moron!"

"Do you think that staying with those guys for any longer was smart?!" he yelled back. "You don't know what you're dealing with, Matsumomo, this is the _Mafia_, they're ruthless! We've got to get back to the hotel, or at least out in the public—"

"Then other civilians would be hurt!" she said, outraged with his suggestion. "Oh, fuck—"

She aimed behind her haphazardly and pulled the trigger, hearing it connect with nothing.

"Why are they after _me_?!" she asked as Kanda's grip around her wrist tightened.

"I have no idea," he said sharply. "My best bet is that this has got something to do with Mikk—"

"Tyki would never try to attack me!"

"How do you know?!" Kanda bellowed. "Why do you think that you know even the slightest bit about him?! Do you know anything about his history?! His personality?! You said that you guys weren't happy with each other right now—how do you know he wouldn't do anything to hurt you?!"

"He's not like that!" she shouted. "He's at least a bit chivalrous!"

"Chivalry is a nonexistent attribute—"

His sentence was cut off by a strangled yell, and Rei felt his profile collapse beside hers. She heard herself scream his name as he fell in her hold; she felt something on her hands and knew instinctively that it was blood. From what? From where? Was he badly injured? He was gripping his shoulder, having finally let go of her wrist, and was gritting his teeth as his blue eyes flashed in pain.

The other men were approaching them; the only things visible about their figures were their eyes and the gleaming guns in their hands. Rei drew in a shaky breath and loaded her gun again, readying it. It was a split-second decision; she brought it up and pulled the trigger effortlessly, watching the men in front of her fall to the ground, clutching their legs, grunting; she cocked the gun again, only to hear the empty clinking of an empty barrel.

"Shit." She threw the gun to the ground and stood up hastily, trying to drag Kanda up with her. "Kanda, come on, we gotta get out of here—"

She heard some rustling in front of her; her green eyes immediately flickered to the two injured men on the ground; one of them had a gun pulled out in front of him, aiming it at Rei.

Everything seemed to move so slowly; her emerald eyes could only see that gloved hand pull on the metal trigger at a snail's pace, but her body didn't know what to do to prevent it from happening; it was like dying but only seeing what was happening before she died; what happened to having life flash before her eyes?

Something exploded.

She didn't know what it was, but the sound was so loud that it was only logical to assume that something had exploded.

The man who was about to shoot suddenly stopped. His body moved jerkily, as if hit with a paroxysm of instantaneous movement, then laid still. The gun fell from his outstretched hands.

Rei turned behind her, seeing a pair of feet, then gradually brought her vision up to identify her savior.

It was Tyki.

But at the same time, it wasn't Tyki.

It was him _physically_, with his curly hair tied back loosely, his signature white cotton button-up, his long black dress pants. He would've fit in at any high-class casino, apparel-wise. Which was normal.

But what was _not_ normal was what he had in his hand. A gun. His arm was outstretched, the tip of the gun was smoking, pointed in the direction of the now completely immobile man. A pool of blood was forming around his head.

And Tyki's eyes. They weren't normal. Those liquid gold eyes that flickered with amusement, were always cool and calm and collected…

They flashed with a rage beyond anything that Rei had ever seen before, an intensity that, if somehow converted into energy, could probably charge up twenty light bulbs. If she had thought that _Kanda_ could kill someone with his gaze, then Tyki could kill a crowd. She shuddered unconsciously, her hold on Kanda's shoulders growing tighter.

Tyki didn't even look at her. His gaze was focused on the partner of the motionless men, and his outstretched arm slowly travelled in his direction. Her mind had not fully registered what was going to happen before she screamed.

"_DON'T DO IT, TYKI!_"

But Tyki pulled the trigger easily, the bullet rushing through the air and connecting with its target. Rei could not bring herself to close her eyes and look away; her jade orbs were fixated on the second man, who, like the first, had his limbs twitch in a spasmodic manner before he fell motionless. She heard some sort of whimpering sound, almost like a cry, and only realized moments later that it was herself. She thought she felt Tyki's eyes shift to look at her for a brief second, then turn away back to the remaining man.

Only the man who seemed to be the squad leader was left. He didn't run, nor did he attempt to explain himself. He simply walked forward, his flashlight dangling in a manner that caused the area surrounding them to flicker in an eerie way.

"Lord Tyki," he said with a bow.

"I told you," Kanda hissed by her ear, his breaths shaky and drawn. "I told you, he was involved."

But that was the least of Rei's worries right now—she could not bring herself to stop looking between the two dead men in front of her and the fearful avenger that Tyki had become; his golden eyes blazed with fury and equal calm; she realized that she did not really know the man standing beside her, didn't know him at all…

Tyki then spoke. At first, Rei thought her ears were malfunctioning and thus she had gone into shock because she couldn't understand a word that Tyki was saying. It then hit her, however, that she wasn't supposed to understand what he was saying. He was speaking Spanish.

It was funny, hearing him speak a language she didn't understand. His deep, husky voice was fluid, smooth, like honey, and yet contained a dormant threat that she was not accustomed to hearing.

The assailant simply kept his head bowed, occasionally murmuring words that sounded like assurances. Then after a final command, it seemed, from Tyki, he gave a deep bow, took the men that he had brought with him, and disappeared in to the darkness. It happened in a flash, so quickly, that when Rei reined in her senses, all she could see was that large pool of crimson in front of her; her mind was seized with a state of grogginess and nausea, and as darkness claimed her sight, the rest was history.

* * *

She felt like throwing up the moment her consciousness returned to her. It took her a little while to regain all use of her senses and her motor functions. The first thing she heard was yelling.

And it was not the kind, normal sort of yelling. It was the really furious, really "I'm-going-to-beat-the-shit-out-of-you" kind of yelling.

The noise seemed to filter through a wall, which led Rei to assume that whoever was shouting his lungs out was in a different room that was connected to hers. And the voice was familiar. Even though it was contorted with anger, at a level of volume that she didn't know was capable coming from him, she knew it was Tyki.

Rei opened her eyes blearily. It was dark in the room…she sat up, shaking her head as she climbed out of the covers of the bed. Pausing for a brief second to make sure that she wasn't going to throw up, she then followed the sound of the hollering to the kitchen of the suite.

Rei slid open the door, revealing a livid-looking Tyki who was shouting into the receiver of his phone. He was too busy yelling to notice that she was there. Again, he was speaking in an unfamiliar language, presumably Spanish or Portuguese.

She knocked gently on the door, letting him know that she was there. He turned around to face her, relief washing over his furious face as his gaze seemed to devour her profile.

"She's awake," said Tyki in English. "I'm going to go."

Whoever Tyki was talking to replied, for there was a short silence before the Portuguese model spoke to him again.

"Talk to her? You are sure as hell _not_ going to talk to her—do you know what the fuck you just did? You think you could just _talk_ to her?!"

"Tyki," she said, her voice hoarse.

He looked up at her, eyes flickering, and strode over to her, stopping once he was a foot away.

"Is that…whoever attacked us?" she asked croakily.

Tyki bit his lower lip for a second, then nodded curtly.

"He…wants to speak to me?" she said questioningly.

Tyki nodded again tersely, covering the receiver as he spoke.

"It's…Cyril. My brother."

Rei was not thinking properly at the moment. She reached up to the phone and took it out of Tyki's hands, bringing it to her own ear. Tyki sputtered indignantly, trying to tug it away, but Rei brushed him off, listening intently.

"This is _your_ fault, Tyki," Cyril was saying. "If you had just listened to me, and brought her home as a _bodyguard, _not some scandalous model, this would've been fine—"

"Mr. Cyril?" said Rei hesitantly.

There was a pause on the other end.

"…Would this be Miss Rei Matsumomo?" a perfectly smooth, slightly accented voice said.

"This is she. I…"

"You must be wondering why I had my men try to…er, kidnap you. It's very simple. See, I asked Tyki to bring you back to Portugal so you could work as a bodyguard for me. He was an idiot and decided that making you a publicized model was necessary, which is absolutely uncalled for because a girl like you can't possibly appreciate the scandals and ridiculousness of a showbiz life—"

"Mr. Cyril," said Rei, her voice growing stronger. "If you wanted to see me, you could've just asked. Shooting at me, _and_ _wounding my colleague_, is by no means a necessary way to ask me to meet you!"

"Ah, well, that's just the way things are…I know that if I just asked nicely, Tyki would've never let you go."

"So was trying to kill Kanda part of some inglorious plan that I didn't know about?" said Tyki icily. He seemed to be able to hear whatever Cyril was saying. "Tell him that he's being an insufferable, spoiled, preposterous idiot—do you really think that killing Asia's superstar would go unnoticed?!"

"Tell him I can hear him," Cyril snapped. "And that he doesn't understand, and that everything is his fault."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Cyril, but this is definitely not Tyki's fault!" she said angrily, some color flushing back to her cheeks. "You…you almost killed Kanda, and you made…Tyki…"

She suddenly remembered that Tyki had killed a man. No, two men. Her face must've paled again, for Tyki looked down at her concernedly and took the phone away from her.

"I'll call you back," he said into the phone. "She doesn't seem well."

He snapped the phone shut and brought a hand up to her cheek, brushing it lightly. Rei shuddered involuntarily.

"I thought I was going to be too late," he said huskily. "I thought I wasn't going to get there in time, and that you would somehow be killed and I wouldn't be able to see you again, and the last thing I said to you was that you were a whore—I can't believe—"

"Tyki, why did you kill that man?" she whispered, looking up at him.

The question seemed to stump him.

"…What?"

"That man," she said shakily. "That second man—you didn't have to kill him, and you did, you…you just _shot_ him in the head, and he…he just _died_—"

"…I was trying to protect you," he said disbelievingly. "Surely you're not condemning me for that?"

"You _killed_ someone!" she said. "You…a-aren't you a bit…affected? Y-you just killed him—what's going to happen? The p-police, or…" She drew in a shaky breath. "What if you get sent to jail or something? What's going to happen? What about y-your image or—"

"Calm down," he said quietly, cupping her cheek in his hand. "Calm down. Don't worry. Nothing's going to happen—the man I was talking to just cleared off, and they'll clean it up. Nothing's going to happen."

"But what about your…your state of mind or something! Aren't you…fazed or…"

He let out a humorless chuckle and brought Rei into his embrace, holding her to his chest.

"You're acting like you're the one who pulled the trigger," he said softly, running a hand through her hair. "This isn't the first time I've killed someone, Rei. I don't feel…anything."

She pushed him away at his words, her green eyes widening.

"Rei—"

"How…how do you not _feel_ anything?! What if Kanda died?! Would you feel anything then?"

"I never said that. Rei, are you hating me for saving you?"

"No," she said fiercely. "I don't hate you—I'm just…I'm just…God…is Kanda okay?"

Tyki sighed, unhappy with the turn of conversation, but he answered nonetheless.

"He wasn't shot—it turned out the bullet just grazed his shoulder. Deeply, true, but at least it didn't lodge in his shoulder. He should be fine. Useless idiot," he added under his breath. He returned his gaze to her, exhaling as he held her face in his hands again. "Mind…mind if I kiss you?"

Of course, Tyki was never one to ask and wait for an answer. He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers, gently, restrained, nothing like the frenzied kissing from earlier. It seemed that he had kissed her just to reassure himself that she was there, she was alive, and safe. Rei watched him, his every movement, his tan, flawless skin as he continued kissing her. It suddenly hit her that his eyes were closed. They were never closed when he kissed her. It felt…good. It felt…secure.

He broke it off after a few minutes, breathing rapidly.

"You…should probably go rest," he said, resting his forehead on hers. "I have a few things to straighten out with the others."

"I should go see Kanda," she said halfheartedly.

"Don't," he said strictly, shaking his head. "It'd be better if Lenalee's with him instead. You need to sleep. I need to make sure that the paparazzi haven't figured anything out."

"…Do they know that you…" She couldn't get the words out of her mouth again.

"Killed some people?" he said emotionlessly. "No. I don't think Kanda was that conscious at the moment, and I haven't told the others."

"Tyki—"

He silenced her with another kiss, letting it linger for a few more seconds, before drawing back.

"Go sleep," he said, ruffling her hair. "I have to get things sorted out."

Before she could inquire anything further, about what had happened, about Tyki's state of mind, about _her_ own state of mind, and especially about exactly what sort of relationship they held at that point, he left with a brief smile, shutting the door behind him and leaving her alone in the darkness.

* * *

"So," said Tyki, sinking into a chair in front of Kanda's bed and lighting a cigarette, "everyone here?"

"What is this?" the shirtless Japanese model said dryly. He was not looking half as pale as Rei had been. "Some formal get-together in my room?"

"Nah, we're all waiting to see what you're going to say on your deathbed," said Lavi mildly, sitting on a couch nearby. "So, who will you give your share of Tiedoll Corp. to once you're gone?"

"Shut up, idiot. I'm not dying," said Kanda snappishly, leaning against the headboard of his bed. He gingerly moved his bandaged arm, rotating his shoulder as he looked piercingly at Tyki. "So it was your men, right?"

"Not my men," said Tyki curtly, drawing in a breath. "They were my spoiled brother's. He seems anxious to get Rei back in Portugal."

"What in the world for?" said Kate, bemused. She was sitting comfortably on Lavi's lap.

"Her bodyguard skills," Tyki said coolly. "I told him that he was being a complete idiot and that it would never happen, but I have no idea if he's smart enough to stop trying."

"She's _that_ good?" said Lenalee, stunned. "Isn't your brother part of the royalty?"

"Yeah," nodded Tyki. "Well, she's got some legacy. Her mom used to work for my brother, so that's probably why Cyril's so interested in her."

"So it's your fault," snapped Allen from across the room. "You brought her into this kind of dangerous lifestyle—"

"If you want to blame someone, blame Kanda," said Tyki frostily. "It was by pure coincidence that I even managed to meet Rei, after all—"

"Why the hell are you blaming me?!" Kanda snarled. "In case you haven't noticed, _you_ had the men trying to kill me here!"

"Well, it can't be helped that both the Japanese and Spanish Mafias want you dead," commented Tyki lightly. "That wasn't my issue. I told Cyril to stop being a complete dunce—I mean, _someone's_ going to notice when the world's biggest prat goes missing—"

"Could you all stop sniping at each other like hormonal teenagers?" said Kate, looking half-amused, half-disgusted. "Jeez, only Lavi's the mature one out of this lot."

"Aw, thanks, Kate," the Brit grinned, pecking her on the cheek.

"No problem, dear," she said, flashing him a smile and batting her eyelashes.

Tyki felt like throwing up all of a sudden.

"Now," said Kate, returning to somberness, "the biggest deal is to hide this from the public and to keep Rei safe."

"What about Kanda-kun?" asked Lenalee.

"I can take care of myself," he said in a steely tone.

"Obviously not," muttered Tyki.

"Shut up, Mikk."

Tyki decided to be mature and did not reply to Kanda's insult. "Hiding this from the public won't be hard. I told Cyril's last guy to make sure that no traces of the skirmish were left behind, and being part of the Mafia, they should do a good job of cleaning things up."

Lavi snorted.

"They're the _Mafia_, Mikk. Last time I checked, they sucked at cleanup, even when _you_ were—"

He stopped abruptly as he caught his words. Tyki was shooting him a death glare, his golden eyes gleaming with such an intensity that even Tyki himself thought they could perhaps shoot lasers.

"Sorry," said Lavi weakly.

"Sometimes, I believe that trusting you with my life story was the worst mistake of my damn life," said Tyki.

Kate cleared her throat, drawing everyone's attention back to her. Her hazel eyes shone in a strange way, as if she knew more about what Lavi had said that she let on, but she didn't say anything about it, instead turning the conversation back to its original intent.

"About Rei," she said professionally, "it's probably best if she gets bodyguards of her own."

"The girl's a bodyguard by herself," said Kanda wearily. "She'll be fine by herself."

"I beg to differ," said Kate coldly. "She's still a girl—she could be easily overwhelmed."

"As long as she doesn't go walking alone at night, she should be fine," said Tyki. "What I'm worried about is if they'll try to abduct her in her hotel room. I think her best bet is to move into the same room as me."

There was a stunned pause.

"Are you out of your mind?!" said Kate, her expression furious. "Hell, no!"

"Since when were you and Rei such good friends?" groaned Tyki. "No one else cares!"

"I'm with Schrödlich," said Kanda in an undertone.

"Everyone except for you," Tyki said angrily. "Face it, Kate, I'm easily the best protection Rei's gonna get—"

"She doesn't need to sleep in the same room as a pervert like you!" said Kate hotly.

"We're not in the same bed!"

"Anything could happen!"

"Anything could happen as long as Rei wanted it to!"

"Hell, she is not going to stay with you! She can stay in the same room as me—"

"That'd be a lot of protection," scoffed Tyki. "I wonder how much struggle you could put up, Kate, seeing as you're five foot nine and only about fifty kilograms!"

Kate flared at the jibe. "I—"

"Oi, chill, sweetheart," grinned Lavi, pulling Kate close to him. "Mikk's not gonna pull anything shady out on Rei—he cares about her too much."

"Why are you so supportive of those two?" said Kate, annoyed.

"I think it's about time Mikk settled down," he sighed. "I mean, after I've been so happy with you—" He nuzzled Kate's neck. "I only want the best for him, eh?"

"I don't," she said mutinously. "He can go jump of a cliff—"

"Rei can sure as hell not sleep with you," said Allen firmly, walking over to them. "I'm her best friend—I have some say in this, at the least."

"Has Rei even consented to this?!" said Kate.

"No," admitted Tyki. "She's sleeping, and I didn't want to disturb her."

"Where's she sleeping," Allen said in a deadly tone.

"…My room?"

"Give me your key," the white-haired boy said snappishly. "I'm moving her to mine."

"Oh, please," said Tyki, rolling his eyes. "You're not _any_ better protection for Rei than Kate is!"

Before anyone could answer, Tyki's cell phone vibrated ferociously. He sighed, picking it out of his pocket and looking at the screen.

"Damn," he cursed, standing up. "We'll talk about this later—it's getting a bit late. Rei's going to be sleeping in my room, and that's final."

"Over my dead body!" called Kate and Allen simultaneously as Tyki left the room.

He shut Kanda's door behind him and picked up the phone.

"Hello?" he said.

"Hey," greeted Lulu. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I managed to get there in time. Thanks for the tip-off."

"No problem," she said smoothly. "I'm more than happy to be of some assistance to you, Tyki."

"…Thanks," he said, shifting uncomfortably as he stood outside his room door. "So, about Cyril—"

"Hey," she interrupted, and something about her tone made his stomach clench.

"What is it?"

"…You in love with your bodyguard girl?"

The question threw him off a bit. There was a silence before he answered.

"Eh?"

"You heard me," she said in a supposedly blasé tone. "Are you in love with her?"

"Eh…I never really thought of it that way," said Tyki. "It's just been…a lot of lust. That's…pretty much it. Nothing compared to…"

He let his sentence trail off, his heart thumping quickly. This really wasn't where he wanted the conversation to be going, in circles, back to the past…

Lulu got the message.

"Nothing compared to what you felt for me, right?" she said, laughing slightly. "I'm glad to hear that."

"Lulu," he said irritably. "I'm not here for you to play around with, especially when you're about to get married; I wanted to ask about Cyril—"

"You know, Tyki…" she said breathily, "I really did love you. And I reckon I still do."

"Lulu—"

"Goodnight, Tyki."

She hung up, leaving Tyki to hear nothing but static on the other end of the line. Something strange welled up in his chest; a torrid of emotions that seemed to spiral out of control: desire, anger, frustration, and the faint remnants of pathetic love.

He punched the wall furiously, swearing under his breath. The familiar bouts of regret and guilt, things that he had not felt since he ascended into his modeling career, bounded back to him as his mind gripped with the fact that he had taken two lives, and now his heart was grappling with this offsetting news from Lulu…the undetermined feelings for Rei seemed to wilt a bit, diminishing in prominence as Tyki slid down the wall, thinking, smoking, and most of all, regretting.

* * *

**Free Talk**:

Merry Christmas!!!!

I was planning on having this chapter be longer so that more could happen, but I couldn't finish everything tonight, and I wanted a new chapter to be out near Christmas day, so here it is! It's not that great of a chapter, so sorry! But hopefully it can be a somewhat satisfactory Christmas gift to you all. Thank you so much for reading, supporting me, and reviewing!

I've created a livejournal blog strictly for fanfiction purposes (i.e. talking more in depth about an update, letting you guys know when I'm probably going to update next, etc.) If you have a livejournal account, please add me! The link is on my profile. :)

Again, Merry Christmas! And please review, that'd be an awesome Christmas present for me! :)

xoxo, ~*m.n*~


	24. Bad Romance

**Chapter 24: Bad Romance**

**

* * *

**

_"Between men and women there is no friendship possible. There is passion, enmity, worship, love, but no friendship."_

_— **Oscar Wilde**_

* * *

"Did you call Tyki, Lulu?" asked Cyril, walking into the room once Lulu hung up the phone.

The Portuguese beauty gave a luscious smile.

"I did, irmão."

"And?" he said, sitting down next to the fireplace.

"Did what you asked…left him a little bit of a teaser," she said, sitting down on a chair next to him.

"Good," said Cyril musingly. "I've been worrying about our dear brother and his petty feelings; he seems to be getting awfully attached to my little bodyguard, no?"

"I asked him if he was in love with her," remarked Lulu, ringing a bell for the maid. "He gave such a cryptic answer…something along the lines of 'I don't know, I'm just physically attracted to her.' What a childish answer."

"How old is he now?" said Cyril, leaning back on his chair. "Nineteen? Twenty?"

"He's twenty-one," Lulu said silkily.

Cyril smirked at her instant response. "And how are you, Lulu?"

Lulu shot him a glare. "You would do well to learn your own sister's age, Cyril. I'm twenty-three."

"You like the younger men, mm?" he said wryly.

"Shut up, Cyril."

"Sorry, sorry," chuckled Cyril. "I should be thankful to you for reining Tyki in."

"Why are you so worried about him? It doesn't matter if he falls in love with the bodyguard or not."

"Ach, well we don't really want him to fall head over heels for someone who won't bring any political or financial benefit to the family, right?" Cyril said as a maid came in with a bottle of wine and a coffeepot. "Ah, excellent, I'll take the wine. Thank you, dear Célia."

"Her name's Antia," said Lulu, amused. "I'll take the coffee, Antia—you can leave."

The maid bowed wordlessly and left the room.

"I must have gotten her confused with the other rather petite one," said Cyril, sighing as he poured himself some wine.

"One would think that you'd know all these maids personally, especially after you've slept with them all at one point or another."

"I haven't slept with _all_ of them," said Cyril, drawing his face in mock offense. "I heard that the Earl's hired a few new ones; I haven't gotten around to seducing them yet."

"Sure," scoffed Lulu. "You know, you always talk about your family members establishing marital relations. Why don't you settle down?"

"Ah, that'd be so boring. Lulu, have you planned when your wedding will be?"

"In a while. The ceremony will be huge…so it'll take some time. Why?"

Cyril shrugged. "I was just wondering. I was also thinking; do you know any…eligible bachelorettes who might perk Tyki's interests? Especially if they have some connections with the government?"

"I'll look around," said Lulu, drinking her coffee deeply. "After all, if I were to announce at the next socialite gathering that Tyki Mikk was free for grabs, _all_ the ladies would be queuing up to meet him."

"I'll have to look into it," said Cyril, downing the rest of his glass and setting it aside. He stood up, stretching his arms. "My darling Road's already thirteen, hm? Too early for marriage, right?"

"Definitely."

"Then Tyki's up next…especially since I know for a fact that I won't be able to get Debitto and Jasdevi to settle down." He gave Lulu a fleeting smile. "Good work, Lulu. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, irmão."

"Goodnight."

Lulu was left in her room, her golden eyes fixated on the burning logs in the fireplace. One crackled loudly, splitting in half; its two pieces collapsed onto the smoldering ashes, its remnants glowing red, then disappeared as fire consumed it and reduced it to soot.

* * *

When Rei woke up the next morning, she felt tired. That probably meant she hadn't slept well…but she couldn't remember what she had dreamed about the night before that made her wake up this exhausted. She opened her eyes, blinking tiredly, and sat up as she squinted at the light flooding the room.

This wasn't her room. She looked around, her eyes landing on Tyki. He was standing outside on the patio, his eyes looking off into the distance as he smoked a cigarette. The wind was blowing; his hair was growing unraveled and was tossed over his shoulder. He looked beautiful.

She stood up, feeling a bit disgusting since she was still in the clothes that she'd been in last night. Rei walked over to the door and slid it open, stepping out onto the patio. Tyki looked up at her entrance.

"Good morning," she said, smiling slightly.

Tyki's reaction was unexpected. All he did was nod curtly; there was no hint of a smile or even a glimmer of amusement in his eyes.

"We're meeting in the lobby after breakfast," he said tersely. "The shoot's starting on the beach today—it's the start of the magnetic attraction branch. Be ready."

With that, he strode past her and reentered the bedroom, shutting the bedroom door with a clack as he left altogether.

Rei stood on the patio, stunned.

Was Tyki angry with her? Had she said something last night that had upset him? What was up with the sudden aloof attitude?

She shook her head, a bit disturbed. Deciding not to do anything about it—she still wasn't feeling all that well—she went back into the room, thinking of what to do next, and then settling on going back to her own suite to take a shower and prepare for the day.

* * *

"Rei!"

Someone knocked on her bedroom door. Rei answered it, clad in a bathrobe with her hair still dripping wet. It was Kate.

"Hey," the European model greeted. "Are you feeling okay? Sleep well last night?"

"It was all right."

Kate seemed a bit worried at her blasé response.

"So…need help with your makeup and stuff?" she asked.

"That'd be great," said Rei with a forced smile. "Come in."

Kate walked in, letting the door fall shut behind her, and followed Rei to the bathroom.

"Let me blow your hair dry," offered Kate.

"It's okay, I'll let it air-dry," said Rei, taking a towel and rubbing her head with it. "Um…if it's not too much to ask, could you help me find an outfit?"

"Sure," said Kate amiably, going to her closet and opening it. "Oh…you don't have the greatest selection here, do you?"

"Not in the slightest," she said with a weak laugh. "Sorry, I don't have much."

"Eh, we can make it work," Kate chuckled. "Say, are you…all right? I know last night must've scared the hell outta you, whether or not you're a bodyguard…you just seem a bit…afflicted."

"I'm okay. It's fine…I mean, it's not like I was injured or anything. Tyki showed up and he managed to…save us." Rei tossed the towel aside and straightened up. "Hey, Kate. Have you seen Tyki today?"

"When he was on his way to breakfast."

"Did he…seem strange to you?"

"A bit silent, perhaps," replied Kate, thinking for a moment. "But it didn't seem that out of character. Why?"

"Nothing," said Rei quickly. "So…um…"

But Rei could no longer deny that Tyki's attitude toward her was unsettling and was taking up too much of her attention. She wanted someone to talk to, and that someone could not be her best friend Allen Walker, nor could it be Tyki because her problems concerned him.

"Kate," Rei said suddenly.

"Here's your outfit!" the European model said cheerfully, shoving the clothes into Rei's arms. "I managed to find a something pretty simple, actually, and I think it fits you well."

It was just a Ralph Lauren low-cut oxford, a leather belt, and denim cuffed shorts. Rei began to dress, trying to make up her mind on whether or not she should bring up the serious topic again.

"Sorry I interrupted you," said Kate. "What were you saying?"

"Oh…I…um…so I have this _friend_—"

"Oh, God," sighed Kate. "Is this about love? Don't even bother with the whole friend façade—I know it's you. Go on."

"Oh. Okay," said Rei, a bit relieved that she didn't have to spin a long-winded story about a nonexistent female friend. "I…er…to make a long story short—I was in love with Kanda while ago," she blurted out.

Kate dropped the hanger she was holding and just stared, her pretty amber eyes shining with shock.

"_With who?!_"

"Kanda," said Rei impatiently, zipping up her jeans. "When I worked for him…I fell for him, incredible dunce though he is. But lately, especially after I started working with him, I've been feeling these…emotions towards Tyki. And it's not like _love_, I don't think—it's not like what I felt for Kanda, I don't believe—but a lot of it consists of this strong desire to…uh…"

"Make out with him," Kate groaned, digging into her purse for her makeup bag. "Oh damn it, Rei, why him? He's such a douche bag…"

"He's not terrible," said Rei reproachfully. "But I feel _bad_, Kate—like I don't know, I feel sorta…_off_ for switching people so fast, you know? Like maybe I feel obliged to sit still for a while longer—"

"Why in the world would you do that?" said Kate, looking scandalized. "You don't have to know someone just to want to make out with them. You know, I must say that the first time I worked with Kanda, I thought he was gorgeous and I wanted to just _jump_ into bed with him—oops, that came out a bit wrong, didn't it?" she added sheepishly as she noticed Rei's apprehensive expression. "Well, I mean, he's _cute_."

"Cute isn't quite the right word," laughed Rei, "but I get your point."

"But you know, the aura that Kanda radiates…it's so…innocent," Kate said slyly. "Sorry, I can't deal with innocent men…so that's probably why Lavi and I just clicked."

"Ah. So Monsieur Bookman isn't innocent at all," chuckled Rei, winding the belt around her waist.

"Not at all…" murmured Kate. "Ah…the wonders he does in bed…" She seemed to enter a particularly wonderful daydream.

"Kate," said Rei, snapping her fingers in front of her European colleague. "Lovely as it is to know that Bookman is God's gift to females—"

"He is," she said dreamily.

"Could we, uh, turn the conversation elsewhere?"

"Oh, yes," said Kate, snapping out of her reverie. "You're done dressing? Good, let's get your makeup on. Now, where was I? Oh, yes. So Lavi and I hooked up the first night we met; I had initially just intended to play around a bit, y'know? He's younger than me, and I thought that we probably just might not work out. But the man's _considerate_ and charming and just…amazing. And I've only known him for a few weeks, Rei, and I swear I haven't been _this_ in love before! What I'm trying to say is: you and Tyki have known each other longer than I've known Lavi. It's not wrong at all to fall in love in a short period of time."

"But that's not just it though…" said Rei, a bit pained. "Tyki knew I was in love with Kanda, and don't you think that if I just went up to him and said, 'Hey, I might be in love with you,' that he'd think I'm a bit…loose?"

"How would he think _you're_ loose, when he's been with countless girls?" said Kate severely, turning Rei's face to her so she could put on the eyeliner. "Rei, I don't want you to be with Tyki because I think he's an idiot—"

"Though I hear he's on par to Bookman when it comes to being a deity in bed," said Rei with a naughty smile. "Oops, sorry," she added innocently as Kate looked at her disapprovingly. "Do continue."

"Well I wouldn't lie and say that I've never fantasized about having sex with Mikk," said Kate frankly, brushing Rei's eyelashes through with mascara. "Putting that aside, however…I don't think it should be a problem if you tell him how you feel."

"But I don't think I really know how I feel, in all honesty," said Rei, biting her lower lip. "I know I'm more than affectionate towards him, but the feeling of love? It's not the same…"

"It's not supposed to be, Rei," said Kate exasperatedly. "Of course your emotions are going to be different for each person. Love comes in different forms, darling. So maybe your version of love for Tyki has more of a physical attraction than Kanda's, and that's not wrong. The way you treat your loved one will still be the same."

Kate took the mascara brush away and looked down at Rei. A smile formed on her perfectly sculpted lips.

"They always say that a woman in love becomes beautiful," said Kate reticently. "You've grown more attractive now, Rei."

"…Thanks," said Rei, rather touched. "Um, you too? But that's sort of a pointless compliment, seeing as you've been beautiful to begin with."

"You're such a sweetheart," laughed Kate, mussing up Rei's hair a bit. "Why don't we head down to breakfast?"

"Yeah." Rei stood up, running a hand through her hair, when she suddenly remembered something that had been bothering her for a while. "Hey, Kate, do you know why Tyki's on meds?"

"Hm…no, I don't believe I do," she said as they walked to the exit. "You could ask Lavi though. They seem to share a relationship deeper than it seems."

"You…er, won't mind if I take Bookman for some private conversation then?" said Rei, fearing to incur the wrath of a jealous Kate.

But Kate simply waved her worries aside.

"Definitely not," she snorted. "No offense, darling, but you don't really represent much of a threat to my relationship."

"I wish I could say the same," Rei muttered under her breath.

"It'll work out," said Kate, patting Rei on the shoulder as they left the room. "Though part of me hopes that it won't, because I really hate Mikk. But seriously, Rei, one day, we're going to have a long, long talk about these two guys, and hopefully by the time I learn the entire story, I won't feel the strong desire to punch Mikk's snotty face in every time I see him."

Rei was going to laugh at Kate's little joke, but upon glancing at the German woman's face, she saw that Kate was being utterly serious, and decided not to comment any further.

* * *

When Rei walked into the room, Tyki stared determinedly out the window. He didn't know why he was acting like this—it wasn't even her fault. She hadn't done anything.

Okay, fine, he did know why he was acting like this. Lulu's call last night had disturbed him, had ruptured the silky façade he had learned to build around him. She had loved him? Bullshit. She still did? That was incomprehensible.

But part of him was being stupid. And it hoped that it might be true.

He ground his teeth. What did he want? Did he still want Lulu? Hadn't he learned his lesson? Hadn't he been hurt enough?

And then there was _Rei_, innocent, pure, and probably confused Rei. Rei who had made him almost lose control over his lust the day before…Rei, for whom he had been so drastically worried about when he had heard about what Cyril had wanted to do, Rei, for whom he had killed two people the night before, just like the old days…that he thought he had gotten rid of.

She didn't approach him, an action he was grateful for. Tyki was not anxious to speak to her. And again, much to his gratefulness, he sat at the corner of the table, and the only person sitting next to him was Bookman.

Lavi Bookman and Tyki Mikk's relationship was peculiar. "Friends" was too cheesy. "Enemies" was incorrect. "Acquaintances" was too indifferent.

Something about Lavi Bookman made everyone lower their guards around him. He was amiable, true, a player, true, but he seemed to just…understand human nature to the point where he didn't blame anyone for anything. He listened, he observed, he blew things off…he was easy-going and not judgmental. Which was probably why it was to Lavi Bookman whom Tyki had drunkenly confided his history to a few years back, when they were both hiding out from the paparazzi in France.

Bookman seemed to know that something was wrong with Tyki, because he simply greeted him with a bland "Good morning" and left him alone. Tyki could see that Rei sometimes glanced in his direction, her emerald eyes narrowed in suspicion and worry, but she was a prudent girl and didn't ask about his attitude. She sat silently between Kate and Kanda's new bodyguard, whose name was still lost to Tyki, and just smiled as she ate her yogurt.

Kanda and Lenalee filed in after a few minutes; Kanda's arm hung stiffly at his side, most likely due to the bandages wound tightly at his shoulder. Lenalee looked a bit pale and haggard (she probably had been up all night tending to her boyfriend) but smiled as they entered the room.

Allen Walker pulled up a chair for Lenalee and gave an ugly look to Kanda as he sat down beside her. As light conversation loomed over the group, Tyki noticed that Kanda's bodyguard was staring very intently at Rei. She also seemed to notice this, for she looked a bit uncomfortable sitting beside him, but didn't say anything about it.

Finally, the bodyguard cleared his throat, bringing Rei's attention to him.

"Er…yes?" she said hesitantly.

The bodyguard answered in Japanese. From the basics that Tyki had learned, he said something along the lines of "Hi, my name is Hero." The Portuguese model involuntarily frowned. Who named their kid Hero?! He then remembered that a common Japanese name was _Hiro_, and thus shrugged and continued picking at his breakfast.

"Um…yes, I remembered that from our previous meeting," said Rei in English. "Could you like…speak English? Speaking in Japanese when everyone else is speaking English is…weird."

"Of course," said Hiro, his English heavily accented. "I just wanted to make your acquaintance again."

"Right…" said Rei, looking a bit wary of him. "Nice to meet you…again?"

Tyki could not suppress a snort; Rei was so socially awkward. Lavi glanced at him out of the corner of his eyes, a smirk tugging at his mouth, but he didn't comment.

"I just wanted to say that I respect you deeply for protecting Kanda-san these last few…incidents," said Hiro stiffly.

"Oh…okay. Er, you're welcome?"

"I was wondering if you'd like to come with me for some…coffee?" he said hopefully.

There was a silence at the table. Rei just stared at him.

Something clanged loudly; Lavi had accidentally banged his head on the table, causing his cup of coffee to spill. Tyki looked at him, amused; the British model was shaking with laughter, trying hard not to seem rude, but failing miserably. Tyki chuckled slightly, eliciting a patronizing glare from Rei, whom he ignored. He sighed. Seeing her made him somewhat…uncomfortable.

"What the hell are you saying?" said Kanda from across the table.

Hiro stiffened immediately upon the sound of his employer's voice.

"N-nothing," he stammered, withering under Kanda's death glare. "I meant nothing at all, Kanda-san!"

"Stop being a bully," sighed Lenalee to Kanda. "Eat your breakfast."

"I think I'm done," said Rei, pushing her half-eaten bowl of yogurt and granola away from her. "I'm going to go now…say, Bookman, would you mind accompanying me for a walk or something?"

The request caught everyone off guard. Tyki just gazed silently in Rei's direction, trying to probe an answer out of her with his eyes, while Lavi just openly gawked, along with everyone else in the room.

"What are you all staring at her for?" said Kate, annoyed. "Lavi, she asked for you to go on a walk with her—just go! Digest all that nasty bacon you ate—go, go!"

Obviously, Kate had put Rei up to something.

"Uh, sure," said Lavi, pushing his chair back and standing up. "Shall we?"

"Have fun!" smiled Kate sweetly as the two of them filed out of the room.

"Kate, what did you do?" asked Tyki the moment they left. "I've never seen a woman openly encourage her boyfriend to go on a solitary walk with another girl."

"Ah, I'm not threatened by Rei at all," said Kate airily.

"True," admitted Tyki. "Who _would_ choose Rei when he already had you?"

Kate shot him a contemptuous look.

"That's not what I meant," she said coolly. "And you're an asshole."

"I get that a lot," he said, smirking slightly as he poured some more creamer into his coffee. "So what did you put Rei up to, mm?"

"Is that any of your business?" said Kate disdainfully. "After all, you're the one acting all _strange_ around her."

"…What?"

"She asked me this morning if you seemed any different to me," she said shortly. "I told her you were still the annoying douche bag you usually are, just a bit more on the quiet side. Who knows, maybe you're trying some stupid 'allure' technique, trying to be 'strong and silent.'"

"I certainly am not," replied Tyki, drinking his coffee. "I don't need an 'allure' technique; women flock to me as I am. What else did you tell her?"

"None of your business," retorted Kate, dumping granola into her vanilla yogurt.

"Hm. Perhaps you said something along the lines of secretly desiring me, and then asking Rei to go and seduce Bookman (and heaven knows that _wouldn't_ work), so you can get together with me?" suggested Tyki, grinning.

Kate gave him a most disgusted look, which then promptly melted off her face as she leaned across the table and trailed her fingers on Tyki's cheek with a most seductive expression on her beautiful European countenance.

"You know," she said breathily, "I _did_ mention to Rei that I sometimes fantasized about having sex with you—"

"Really now?" said Tyki, rather surprised. "Want to have a go?"

"But then," she snapped, her temptress aura disappearing, "I reinstated that I think you're a complete idiot, inconsiderate being, and utter _Arschloch, _you know, _asshole_, and that Rei could do ten times better than you."

"Come on, dear, I'm quite sure I could _revolutionize_ all your prior experiences in bed," he said confidently.

"I beg to differ," she said candidly. "Lavi is _amazing_—"

There was a loud cough from the other side of the room, and the two of them stopped their banter to look at Allen, who was as red as the tablecloth.

"Dear goodness, boy," smirked Tyki, "we haven't even gotten around to the real dirty talk yet. You're quite the innocent one, aren't you?"

"Shut up," snapped Kate, leaning away from him back to her seat. "Sorry about that, Allen, we seemingly _older_," she emphasized the word while shooting another ugly look at Tyki, "models tend to get carried away with the suggestive banter. It won't happen again."

"Thanks," coughed Allen, still a bit red. "So, um, what exactly does Rei need Bookman for?"

"Nothing," said Kate daintily, sipping her tea. "I thought they might just want some bonding time—they don't seem that close."

No one believed Kate, as it was highly unlikely that Kate would suggest Rei to meet with Lavi in private without reason. Tyki did not press the subject, but his insides squirmed uneasily; it was Lavi, after all, who knew Tyki's history.

* * *

"So what's up?" asked Lavi as they walked aimlessly in the hallways.

"I know this is strange," murmured Rei. "Sorry about calling you out like that."

"It's fine," he grinned. "Let me guess. This is about Mikk?"

"Yeah," nodded Rei. "I just wanted to know…I don't know. Something about his past…something that can let me _understand_ him. He's so…bipolar. Last night, he was really…nice, after the attack and everything, but this morning, he didn't even _look_ at me! He just talked to me in a really condescending voice and just left! I mean, how am I supposed to work with someone who's being so…"

"Menopausal?" offered Lavi with a short laugh. He then sobered up. "Before I answer anything, let me ask you something. Are you in love with Mikk?"

Rei winced visibly. This was the question she hated the most…and she didn't want to answer. But something about Lavi compelled her to answer; Lavi had the effect of being understanding to the point where any secret could be spilled in his presence.

"If you asked me a couple of hours ago, I would've said 'I don't know,'" she said, exhaling. "But I talked to Kate a bit this morning, and she seems to have convinced me…that maybe I do. I at least care for Tyki quite a lot. And…what he thinks about me…I want to know. Having him angry with me for no reason is unsettling; I don't know what I'm going to do—I'm like…obsessing over this."

Lavi let out a breath as they walked onto the staircase and sat down on the top steps.

"You do know," he said seriously, "that loving Mikk is not a pretty and clean business. It's nothing like loving Kanda, Rei."

Rei blushed.

"How did you know?!" she said.

"Intuition," answered Lavi with a fleeting smile. "I watch my surroundings very well. Was Kanda cheating on Lenalee with you?"

"No!" said Rei fervently. "No, I mean…we didn't really get anywhere. It just…didn't work out. And I…I guess I fell _out_ of love, at least that's what I realized recently…"

"Well as long as you make sure it stays that way," he said. "There's no need to hurt little Lenalee with your secrets."

Rei was starting to feel very guilty and stared determinedly down at her feet without answering. Lavi continued his lecture.

"Rei, Mikk is not innocent. He's got a past that no one really knows about, and he'd prefer for it to stay that way. I dunno if I should tell you it—he'll probably get really mad."

"I don't have to know everything," she said quickly. "I just wanted to know…a few parts. Like…well for starters, any ideas on why he's being so curt?"

"I got a hunch," admitted Lavi. "Someone called him last night, and he sounded pretty annoyed and upset about it."

"Was it his brother?" Rei guessed.

"No…it was his sister."

"Road?"

"Nah. Lulu." Lavi let out another breath and laid down on the steps, his legs sprawled in an ungainly position as they prevented him from falling down the staircase. "He was in love with her."

Rei stared at him. "His _sister_?!"

"They're not blood-related," clarified Lavi. "Tyki was adopted."

"Oh. Oh yeah," she said, remembering. "I forgot."

"He told you he was adopted?" said Lavi, surprised.

"A couple of weeks ago…so _she_ was his first love. No wonder he acted all weird about her when he was explaining his family to me…"

"It didn't end well," said Lavi. "I'm not gonna go into details, but Lulu was basically using him, luring him to stay in the royalty because they had use for his good looks—you'd be surprised, good looks is basically all that aristocrats go for. And back then—this was about…four or five years ago—Mikk was an inexperienced amateur when it came to romance, so since he was betrayed from his first love, he hasn't been able to open up to anyone else."

"It sounds so…petty, almost," said Rei, leaning against the rails. "I don't know, I just didn't expect Tyki to be like that."

"Well, he's changed, that's true. He's more cynical now…and probably a bit more mature. All the same, it's definitely Lulu who caused him to be what he is now. I'm guessing Lulu said something to him last night that made him upset…and I know for a fact that he's starting to feel something for you too, so whatever Lulu said to him must've thrown him off somehow. He probably just doesn't want to think about it right now."

"Idiot," said Rei wearily, resting her head on the cool steel poles. "Now what am I supposed to do?"

"Y'know, in all honesty, I'm rootin' for you and Mikk," said Lavi, his one visible eye winking. "The guy's gotta get over Lulu, and I'm pretty sure that being with someone as…naïve as you could do him wonders."

"Thanks for calling me naïve," said Rei primly. "But I don't know—Tyki and I clash often…and he's four years older than me, and he's so…mysterious, I suppose. I don't really know anything about him."

"Well what do you want to know?" said Lavi simply. "If I told you all his inner secrets, would you hate him? Would it change your perception of him?"

"If I said that it wouldn't, I'd be lying," said Rei curtly. "But I suppose that my tolerance for how dark his secrets are is pretty high…after all…I know that he's killed people before…and last night…"

"Oh…really?" said Lavi, stunned. "And you don't care?"

"Of course I care!" she said almost snappishly. "I freaked out! But he did it to protect me, and how could I hate him for that?! And he said that he killed people before that, but there's got to be a reason…"

"He was in the Mafia," interrupted Lavi. "Before he was accepted as royalty, he was in the Mafia."

Rei scarcely breathed.

"That's why he's killed people before," he continued. "That's also how he was affiliated with the Portuguese and Spanish royalty—they have connections with the Spanish Mafia—and then accepted into their ranks. It's also why he's on meds."

Rei turned to him.

"What are the meds for?" she said sharply.

"Depression…sometimes anxiety and insomnia…he probably overdoses a lot," Lavi said lightly. "It's not a big deal though—"

"_Not a big deal_?! Overdosing isn't a big deal?!" exclaimed Rei. "Tyki smokes! He smokes like none other! Combining that with meds, Tyki could probably keel over any minute!"

"Yep, I was right—you'd be good for him," said Lavi, stretching his arms out and standing up. "He needs someone to worry about him some more. Really, he needs someone to love him. Maybe then, he'll love himself some more." Lavi smiled and helped Rei up, waving aside her anxiety. "Hey, try to work things out with Mikk, all right? I think you guys could actually make it somewhere."

"It hasn't even started—it might not even start!"

Lavi simply gave a cryptic smile.

"It'll start. Believe me, Tyki likes you more than he lets on. It'll work out."

* * *

Cross liked spontaneity, it seemed. When the models got down to the lobby, the photographer just turned around and said,

"Pack your bags. Our shooting location is three hours away and I don't feel like driving back."

There was a stunned silence after his words.

"How long are we staying?" said Kate, flabbergasted.

Cross shrugged. "A day, a week, a month. No idea. Depends on your performance."

"Then how are we supposed to know what we're supposed to pack?!" said Kanda irritably. "At least try to give us an _hour's_ warning, Marian!"

"Pack everything," said Cross, completely unperturbed by the amount of animosity he was facing. "The bus is big."

Another silence.

"A bus?!" said Kanda once he recovered from his five-second shock. "What are we, middle school children?! We're taking the limo. The damn limo, Marian—I am _not_ sitting in a bus!"

"It's a coach bus, Kanda, now quit your whining and go pack your bags before I fire you."

"I don't want to be in a bus either," said Lavi, looking mutinous. "Those cramped little places where we don't even have space to stretch our legs—all the males are practically six feet tall, Marian! And you say we have to endure for three entire hours?!"

"I'm going to go pack," said Rei, running a hand through her hair.

Kate turned to her; the German model did not seem too pleased with Rei's lack of protest.

"You're fine with a bus?" said Kate, as if demanding the response "no."

"I didn't grow up rich," she said, sighing a bit. "A coach bus is perfectly fine for me. I just have to pack a few things."

"I'll come with you," said Tyki, much to Rei's surprise.

"Wait, Mikk! Don't tell me you're fine with the bus too?!" said Lavi, appalled.

Tyki gave him a patronizing look. "I didn't grow up rich either—I'm fine with the damn bus."

Tyki pushed Rei out of the lobby, back up the stairs to their rooms. Rei was silent; she didn't know what she was supposed to say. Much to her astonishment, the news that Tyki had once been part of the Mafia did not upset her. In fact, what disturbed her the most was the news that Tyki was on meds for symptoms that he hardly exhibited: depression, anxiety, insomnia—well, maybe the insomnia, but depression? Definitely not a Tyki attribute. And anxiety? He was so suave, so confident…it hardly seemed that it was possible for him to be shaky. And not only that, he was _still_ a chain-smoker.

"Since we're moving locations," Tyki said abruptly, "I wanted to let you know that we should stay in the same room."

Rei gave him a questioning look.

"What in the world for?" she said.

"Cyril is obstinate. I highly doubt he'll give you up, so I want to make sure that you're not going to get kidnapped when you're sleeping alone," he explained tersely. "It'll be easier for me if we just sleep in the same room."

"Oh. Okay."

Tyki arched an eyebrow as the two of them stopped in front of his room.

"That's it?" he said doubtfully. "You're just going to say 'okay?' You're not worried that I might decide to do something to you?"

He was starting to get on her nerves. Not only did Tyki have a ridiculous reason to be brusque with her for, but he was currently speaking with an extremely condescending demeanor that highly reminded her of the one that Kanda spoke with, especially when he aggravated her beyond belief.

The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could even caution herself to rein them in.

"On the other hand," she retorted, "aren't _you_ worried that I might find out more about you? Perhaps you know, walk into the bathroom, open a cabinet, and find a couple of bottles of pills?"

Tyki just stared at her. Rei looked away from his captivating gold eyes, blowing out a breath and realizing that she had just made a major mistake; she turned around to leave, but Tyki caught her by the shoulder and pulled her back.

"So you've been snooping around," he said in a dangerous tone. "Is that what you pulled Bookman aside for?"

"I just wanted to know why you were so angry with me this morning—"

"I wasn't angry with you, I was just curt—"

"Right, well it didn't seem like that," she said bluntly. "I…I just ended up finding out more than I had planned, and—"

"So now, you think you understand me very well and have the upper hand?"

"Upper hand in what?!" she said angrily. "Tyki, what I found out and how I found out—it was without bad intentions! You're always talking about how I don't trust you, but you don't trust me either! I hardly knew anything about you!"

"Why did you have to know anything about me?" he returned coldly. "Why didn't you just take what I gave you?"

"Because…because you knew basically everything about me—everything about what had happened with my dad, with Kanda, you've seen all the ugly sides of me—I just wanted to know something substantial about you too—"

"_Substantial_ does not mean finding out everything that I don't want you to know—"

"I'm sorry!" she said honestly. "I really didn't mean to find out everything—it just…happened, and…I just wish you could trust me a bit, Tyki."

"Why would I trust you?" he said icily. "You're not my girlfriend."

"But at least as friends or something!"

"Between men and women there is no friendship possible. There is passion, enmity, worship, love, but no friendship," he said chillingly. "Oscar Wilde. One of the few quotes I've memorized, but only because it's absolutely and undeniably true."

"Really," said Rei, her green eyes now flashing with annoyance at Tyki's unrelenting attitude. "Well, just for your information, Oscar Wilde, brilliant though he was, happened to be gay, so what would _he_ know about relationships between men and women?!"

"That's besides the point, Rei. Let's face reality—both of us clearly know that we can't just be _friends_. It's impossible. We could be enemies, we could be acquaintances, but—"

"What about lovers?" she interrupted.

Again, Tyki simply stared at her with his penetrating golden eyes, startled by her statement.

"…What?"

"I said…what about lovers?"

Tyki scoffed, but there was worry in his eyes. "You can't be serious."

"I'm serious. I'm really serious. Tyki, I snooped around because I didn't know what to think of our relationship. I know you're going to think I'm crazy—I mean, you knew what happened with Kanda and all…but I realized…shit," she breathed, closing her eyes tightly as her heart palpitated furiously. She took a deep breath, then snapped her eyes open and looked directly into Tyki's gaze. "Tyki, I think I'm in love with you."

* * *

**Free Talk**:

I was really not going to leave with a cliffhanger, and I'm sorry that I did. My ideas are becoming to spiraled and long-winded, and if I wanted everything to happen in one go, the chapters would be 10,000 words long...haha. I'm sure that'd be a bit excessive.

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas! And right around the corner is New Year's Day! I can't believe it's already 2010. G-r-a-d-u-a-t-i-o-n!!! :D Hoorah! Now to get my final apps in and finally be a second semester senior! I can't wait.

Okay, now to more serious topics. Rei's fallen for Tyki, officially, and I know how much that'll upset a lot of you, seeing as this started off as a KandaxOC fic. I'm really sorry! It's just that...there's just so much I could do with this. And we still haven't heard Tyki's response! This fic is still nowhere near to finishing though (haha...I really have no life...) and there's a lot more drama/scandalous plot twists involved...so I'd be really happy if everyone continued reading this regardless of the pairing. That would be greatly appreciated! But I know I can't make you read this, and I know it's probably difficult reading about a pairing you don't like.

Nevertheless! I would be REALLY happy if everyone reviewed! According to my stats, if everyone who story-alerted this reviewed, I'd get 103 reviews with every chapter. Which would be really awesome. Like...seriously. So drop a review, please! :) And thank you to all those who reviewed last chapter, and keep up the amazing responses! :)

xoxo,

~*m.n*~


	25. You Picked Me

**Chapter 25: You Picked Me**

**

* * *

**_"And all I can say  
Is you blow me away."_

_--**A Fine Frenzy**. "You Picked Me."_

_

* * *

  
_

"Rei, Tyki, you're up next."

Cross's commanding voice resonated over the cavern. They were deep in the mountains, where the weather was horribly erratic. The mountains, however, harbored beautiful waterfalls, and whimsical Cross had decided on the waterfalls to pose as the landscape for the magnetic attraction pictures.

The idea was to have each couple pose around the lake, each in different places. Kanda and Lenalee had been in the shallow end, Lavi and Kate had been in the middle of the lake, and Rei and Tyki were directly under the waterfall.

Kate and Lavi's pictures must've been amazing. Even Rei could sense the chemistry between them, as the two of them simply stared into each others' eyes amidst the roaring sound of falling water, Kate with a slight smile, Lavi with complete seriousness. They were a beautiful couple. They really were. It made her jealous.

Upon hearing Cross's order, Rei stood up, dusting her shorts off. Even though she was going to be directly under the water, the makeup artists had applied quite a lot of makeup: very dark and bold eyeliner and liberal amounts of waterproof mascara, (though with that amount of water splashing around her, she might as well not have had any applied at all), golden bronzer dusting her cheeks, along with deep red lipstick.

"You ready, Rei?" questioned Allen, glancing in her direction.

"Yeah," she said indifferently, unbuttoning her white oxford a bit. "Should I just take my shirt off?"

"Leave it on," called Cross from a distance. "I'll tell you to take it off if I want you to."

"Hey, Rei," said Allen, "are you okay?"

"I'm fine. What makes you ask that?" she said, taking off her heels.

"…You haven't smiled since yesterday."

"I'm fine," she repeated, still unsmiling. "Just a bit tired."

She waded into the water, shivering a bit at the coldness surrounding her calves. She wasn't looking forward to being under the waterfall—it wasn't terribly high, but it would definitely apply a lot of pressure, and it was probably really cold.

"Rei-san," said Hiro a few feet away from her, on the shore. "Would you like me to help you get to the waterfall?"

"I'm fine," she answered. "I can get over there by myself."

She walked over to the rumbling waterfall slowly, adjusting to the jagged rocks that she was stepping on for support. It suddenly occurred to her that it was very stupid to wade through the middle of the lake; she could've just gone around it, walking on dry land to the waterfall. Damn it. Well, it would look idiotic to walk out of the water now…

Rei heaved a sigh. She was half-furious, half-depressed. Probably forty percent furious, sixty percent depressed. Fine, maybe thirty-seventy.

She still couldn't believe what Tyki had said to her.

* * * * * *

"Really," Tyki said loftily after a stunned silence.

She was taken back by his single-worded response.

"Do you seriously think I'd joke about this?" she replied.

Tyki brought a hand up to her cheek, brushing it lightly. It was a familiar action, but for some reason, she stiffened at the contact. Something about Tyki's eyes didn't make her feel comfortable; she could not help but begin to feel apprehensive.

"So prove it," he said simply.

She blinked, just staring up at him for a few seconds.

"Prove it? How?" she said, bewildered.

"Sleep with me," he answered. "Right now."

Rei let out a shrill laugh.

"You must be kidding me," she said, not sure if Tyki was in a terrible joking mood or a dead serious one.

"Do you seriously think I'd joke about this?" he said, mocking her former words. "No, I'm not kidding. Aren't people in love willing to do whatever the loved one asks?"

"Is this some test?!" said Rei heatedly. "I know that if I consented, all you would do is do the deed and forget about it later—I'm not asking to be one of your idiotic, temporary nightly appointments! If you're going to say 'no,' then just say it!"

"Do you really think I need another Lulu?" said Tyki, leaning against his door. "One who casts me aside right after she's done using me? It's not a big deal, Rei—I just know that sleeping with you would chain you to me—"

"I'm not a dog," she said furiously. "Forget I even said anything—you're obviously not over your bloody _sister_."

Tyki opened his mouth angrily, but Rei cut him off.

"I didn't expect you to be this kind of person," she snapped, "but I guess I'm not that surprised—after all, it's just in your character to push away everyone who might care in the slightest about you just because you need to keep your pride and shoddy 'mysterious' aura. I'll let you know though, I'm not like your nightly appointments—what I said was serious and I meant it, but I at least have a bit of pride to retain. So sorry for not agreeing to bed down with you, but my affection doesn't stretch that far, bastard."

She turned around and left immediately, the blood rushing past her ears as she headed to her own room. Seconds later, she heard the door to Tyki's room shut, and she stopped in the hallway, leaning her head heavily against the wall. She was still incensed, but the unwanted feelings resulting from rejection began to settle in. She was just thankful that he wasn't there to see her cry.

* * * * * *

"Took you long enough," said a shirtless Tyki as she neared him, his perfect lips parting in a smirk.

He had been the smart one and had walked around the lake.

Rei didn't reply, simply ignoring him and looking up at the waterfall. On second thought, it was much higher than it had looked from afar. It was almost deafening, standing so close to it. She placed a hand under the water, watching her arm drop significantly under the added pressure.

"Rei!" Cross shouted over the thundering waterfall. "I want Mikk to pick you up, not bridal style, but almost like you're sitting on his arms. Wrap your arms around his neck, and make sure you stay under the waterfall—that'll create a pretty special effect—and just stare at each other."

Damn it. This is why Rei's dad had told her _never_ to mix up feelings with work—how the hell was she supposed to bloody stare at Tyki when she didn't even want to glance in his direction?!

She was still new to this modeling business, but Rei knew from experience that she had to let her emotions drop a bit in order to be professional about the job. She breathed out a bit, then turned to Tyki.

"Let's just get this over with," she said sullenly. "It's just a damn job."

"I didn't say anything," he said smoothly.

"Shut up, Mikk, and pick me up," she said snappishly, looking straight into his eyes.

The effect was worse than she had thought; she felt a jolt of electricity run through her body, making her want to wince and turn away immediately. A conglomeration of emotions flashed through her: humiliation, anger, depression, and rejection.

Nevertheless, she let Tyki pick her up, lifting her straight into the waterfall. The sudden pressure caught her off guard; she gasped, inhaling some water, and started coughing as she blearily opened one of her eyes to look at him.

"You okay?!" yelled Cross. Then, without waiting for a reply, he said, "Good! Now after you get comfortable, just stare at each other until I tell you to do something different. And I don't want the meek, useless staring either—there's got to be some connection between you two, some _chemistry_—you saw Bookman and Kate's! Theirs was perfect!"

"Great," muttered Tyki under his breath. "Now Bookman's never going to shut up on how much better than me he is."

Tyki was acting very normal. Much more normal than Rei had anticipated. For some reason, she didn't care—the fact that she was the only one acting strange did not upset her, and seeing that Tyki was acting sane compared to yesterday made her calm down. She temporarily blotted out any unpleasant memories she had with Tyki the day before and stared down at him as she placed her hands on his broad shoulders for support.

Rei was freezing. The water had soaked through her blouse in a mere matter of seconds, and though the temperature of the atmosphere was warm, the water had depleted her of any body heat in a flash. She then realized that the only parts of her that were warm were the places where she had some sort of physical contact with Tyki: her hands and thighs.

"You look rather beautiful under all this pouring water," remarked Tyki calmly, turning his face in her direction.

"Stow it, Mikk," she said coolly, her jade eyes gracing his face. "Just shut up and stare at me."

She decided not to add her real thoughts—that Tyki was looking godly, with the water drenching his curly hair and rushing over his beautiful tan body. She was thankful that she was cold, probably because that was the only thing keeping her cheeks from flaring beyond belief.

"…Why are you calling me by my last name?" he asked, not looking into her eyes.

"Shut up. We're going to keep this professional, so stop asking unnecessary questions. Look at me," she said coldly.

"I am."

"You're looking at some unknown feature on my ear. How are we going to have chemistry if you don't look into my eyes?"

"It won't matter; it's not like his camera can see where we're really looking anyway—"

Making sure that she was safely held up in his arms, Rei moved her hands from Tyki's shoulders to his face and pulled his head so that she was looking directly into his eyes. Her own face lingered unbearably close to his, her lips hovering only mere centimeters away from his. Her pale hands cupped his face, forcing him to look at her, and…it was incredible.

She had never really been _this_ close to him before. Especially to his eyes. God, what was wrong with his eyes?! They were amazing, they were so…magnetic, so captivating that she thought she was simply going to fall prey to his seduction, to his charm…but not just to that, it was to his _persona_, to his complete being. She was not an idiot. Even after everything he had said the day before, she was still in love with him, and learning about his afflicted past only pulled her to him more; she wanted to do something about it, wanted to know him, wanted to feel her own emotions reciprocated, and not in the form as despicable physical lust…

Damn…she really loved golden eyes.

* * *

Tyki was normal. He was fine.

So what if he had taken double the necessary amounts of antidepressants the day before—he was feeling fine, really. Great, even. He'd even been smart enough not to drink anything alcoholic last night. He'd just gone sleep feeling perfectly happy. A bit numb, maybe, but very happy.

It was Rei who was acting strange. Which was expected, of course, but a tad annoying at the same time, but it wasn't like he could've expected anything different. Reactive, short-tempered girl.

It wasn't like he was going out of his way to avoid her gaze. At first, it had seemed like _she_ was the one avoiding his eyes, but ever since she'd adopted that "professional attitude," her gaze had been relentless, boring into his mind and examining his every expression. He couldn't deal with it—it always seemed like when Rei was staring at him with those fierce, pure eyes, she was judging him, and he didn't want to be judged. He didn't want to let her in, to let her examine every inch of his corrupted soul.

She had confessed to him yesterday. What had he felt?

God, he had felt amazing for a few brief seconds. It was like hearing some heaven-sent success, some angelic triumph in his ill-led love life. Rei _wanted_ him. Desired him, body and soul, mentally and physically. So he hadn't the only one starting to feel some strange emotions…

But Lulu's constant presence haunted him. He could not open up to Rei—_would_ not open up to her. He had learned his lesson. Love was an emotion that no longer existed in his system—_would_ not exist in his system. She wanted to love him? Let her. Let her feel the pain, the longing, the crazed desire to have something that she couldn't. See what it would do to her—it'd corrupt her, it'd drive her insane, it'd make her into what he was—loveless, cold, flawed…untouchable.

He couldn't stand looking into her eyes. They were scary. They were judgmental, her eyes were X-raying him, stripping him of any armor that he had created around him…

Tyki looked away.

But Rei pulled him back, and her jade irises hovered only centimeters above his…he could feel her shaky breaths over his mouth, and in rose him an unstoppable desire to kiss her. He leaned forward, meeting her lips for but a brief second when he pulled away, shocked with himself and his lack of control. He took a fatal step back, his foothold slipping on the smooth rocks. He fell backward; Rei tumbled out of his arms, and the icy water engulfed them, causing his neck to prickle at the coldness.

He surfaced first, gasping for breath and looking around. Tyki instinctively reached forward and grabbed Rei's still-falling profile from under the water and brought her up; she was choking, shivering uncontrollably as she coughed water out of her mouth. Her eyeliner had smeared artistically over her cheeks.

"Cut!" shouted Cross. "What the hell?! You couldn't even hold her up for five minutes, Mikk!"

"I need a break," Tyki answered breathlessly. "I mean, _we_ need a break."

"I—" Rei broke into another coughing fit. "I was doing fine! _You're _the one who needs a break—why weren't you even looking at me?!"

"I was!"

"No, I had to shove my face in front of yours—"

"Which was not appreciated—"

"Appreciated?! No, what was _not_ appreciated, _Mikk_, was you kissing me—"

"Shut up, you two!" bellowed Cross from across the lake. "Get out of the water—we're taking a break."

Rei shot Tyki a scathing look and waded over to the shore, climbing out of the water by herself. Her white oxford was drenched and clung to her body almost suggestively, outlining her figure. Tyki, angry with her and with himself, determinedly averted his eyes from her profile and followed her out of the water.

Kate, the bustling mother-like figure, rushed over to Rei, but it was Kanda's idiot bodyguard who got to her first with a towel. Rei seemed to be taken back by the towel abruptly thrust in her hands, but she nodded in appreciation and began to wipe herself dry.

Tyki approached her from behind. Kate walked up to them and handed him a towel with a very severe look on her face, as if telling him, "You idiot."

"I'm surprised," said Cross chillingly as they neared him. "I thought the two of you would be more professional than this. You're the one who wanted to work with Rei, Mikk, so why are you acting like a shy five-year old girl when you're around her?!"

"I—"

"And you, Rei," snapped Cross, "stop yelling at him and work on your own expression—you looked like you were about to murder him, and that's not the chemistry I wanted—"

"I—"

"I don't know what happened between you two, but I expected much better than this. Hardly five minutes and I'm already dismissing you—I don't care how you do it, but both of you go and work your issues out like mature _adults_. Lenalee, Kanda, you're up."

Rei's expression was a cross between bewilderment, hurt, and anger, but she didn't respond to Cross and simply walked away, rubbing her face with the towel as she left. Tyki saw Allen walk up to her, probably inquiring if she was all right, but Rei shook her head and brushed him off.

"I need some time alone," she said, barely audibly. "I'll be back later."

She disappeared into a thicket of bushes, the rustling sound she made fading away as she drew farther away. Kate stared at Tyki.

"What?" he said irritably, wiping his neck off.

"What do you mean, 'what?!'" Kate said snappishly, pointing a finger after where Rei had gone. "Go after her!"

"Why should I?" he said icily.

Kate looked dumbfounded, as if stunned to silence at his stupidity. She then moved so fast that Tyki was completely taken off guard; she slapped him across the face, the stinging sound resonating in the clearing.

All eyes were on them; even Lenalee, who was midway in the lake, just stopped to stare at them.

"Are you stupid?!" hollered Kate. "You're the densest guy I've ever met—I swear, even _INNOCENT KANDA_ would have more common sense than you! I thought you were good with women! How the hell could you even compare with Lavi when it comes to being a playboy?! Aren't you supposed to understand the complex folds of the woman's inner mind?!"

Tyki was too amazed that Kate had slapped him to reply.

"GO FIND HER, YOU IDIOT!" Kate bellowed, her pretty face growing red as she grew more incensed. "You are SO STUPID! Fix your relationship! Fix your job! For goodness' sake, Mikk, _FIX YOUR LIFE! NOW GO!_"

Tyki simply blinked and turned to Lavi, who was frozen a few feet away.

"You're going out with a harpy," Tyki muttered, rubbing his stinging face. "You're _insane_, Bookman, and to think that I had the slightest bit of respect for you—"

"Mikk," said Kate in a terrible voice. "_Go._"

"You…you might want to do what she says," Lavi said weakly. "Just…just go find Rei, would you? Now, Kate, dear, calm down…"

"Don't tell me to calm down, Lavi. If that boy doesn't move in two seconds, I will kick him in the nuts so hard he'll wish I castrated him instead—"

"She's insane. There's no other word to describe it," said Tyki under his breath.

"Mikk, _get the hell out of my sight_."

"Fine," he said smoothly, slipping into his flip-flops and shouldering his jacket. "I'll go bring mini-harpy back from her moody moment."

Tyki reflexively ducked as he sensed Kate's murderous intent soar behind him; appropriately so, for he something graze the top of his head milliseconds later. He straightened up to see what Kate's weapon of choice had been. It was a deathly six-inch stiletto.

He shook his head, sighing.

_Women_.

* * *

It was growing cold and the sky was getting darker.

And Matsumomo Rei was lost.

Lost in the middle of the Balearic Islands, in the middle of a forest with no cell phone—and even if she had a cell phone, she highly doubted she could've gotten reception—and without anyone to find her.

And it was starting to rain.

"Damn it!" she swore, climbing over a rock on her self-made trail.

Even if she could find some local person to help her, it wasn't like she could even speak Spanish! The little bit that she had picked up from Tyki was "¿_Cómo está_?" and it wasn't like she could understand the addressed person's response. She wasn't kidding herself that she seemed in a completely and utterly screwed situation.

Not to mention that her emotions were still all in a jumble. She didn't know what to do about Tyki, but what was surprisingly even more upsetting than Tyki was _Cross_. What had she done to deserve getting yelled at? It wasn't her fault that Tyki wasn't looking up at her; how could she produce a proper expression if their gazes had interlocked for only one second before he'd kissed her and then dragged her under the water?!

But she could see what Cross was talking about, and her insides squirmed with guilt. Rei knew that Cross hadn't approved of her being a model to begin with—she hadn't the talent, the qualifications, not even the looks—and that she had only managed to get this far because of Tyki's instructions. She really should've been more professional about the job; after all, there were a million other girls who were better than she was and would kill for the job.

Rei just wasn't feeling so hot.

Mentally and physically, especially as the rain began to pour. Her oxford had been soaked to begin with, but she had just started to warm up…so much for that. She was beginning to shiver, and her teeth were chattering in a nicely rhythmic motion; shit, what was she going to _do_?!

The wind blew fiercely, sending a gale of loose leaves, pebbles, and branches her way. She blocked her face instinctively, hoping that they weren't going to leave any marks on her skin. She walked forward, casting her eyes downward as she prayed that she was going to somehow find her way back to the rest of the crew—what if they forgot her? What if they just assumed that she'd gone back to the hotel and didn't bother looking for her?

As Rei was mulling over the image of her dead body, broken and ugly amidst brown leaves and buried under a significant amount of branches, one of her feet stepped on nothing.

"SHIT!" she shouted, moving her hands away from her face as she stumbled forward.

Her hands reflexively grabbed for the cliff as she fell, scraping her knee as her body hovered dangerously along the edge of the precipice. She clung desperately to the edge, seeking for some branch or foothold that she could step on. She found none.

Rei's breathing quickened. She dared not look down. She had no idea how far the ground was and did not want to know. Ignorance was bliss. She squeezed her eyes shut, thinking rapidly. What could she do? Her arms were already screaming in protest; she'd have to try and propel herself back over the cliff…but she hadn't worked out in ages, and much of her arm muscle had probably become mush, how the hell was she supposed to get back?

Rei opened her eyes, trying to steady her breathing, and began to muster up some of her energy. Her arms trembled as she attempted to pull herself back, but it was fruitless; all she obtained was more exhaustion and the imminent prospect of impending doom. She let out a small whimper; she was scared, she was going to die, this was so much worse than being confronted by the Mafia because at least she thought she could do something about it, but Rei versus Mother Nature just seemed to be a lost cause, and it didn't help that it was starting to rain quite hard and her grip was going to start slipping very quickly—

"IS SOMEONE THERE?!" she screamed loudly, her arms burning as she struggled to retain her grip on the edge.

There was a rustle above her, the sound of cracking branches as someone—a deity—came and grew closer.

"HELLO?!" she shouted, her fingers slipping a bit. "HELLO?! HELP!?!!"

A face appeared over the edge; Rei looked up, relief washing over her, but disappearing just as quickly when she saw who it was. Tyki.

"The hell?" he said with a crooked smile. "How'd you end up there?"

"Pull me over, Mikk," she snarled. "I don't have time for idle chatter."

"Hm…here you are, on the brink of death, and you are very ungrateful to my presence. How about you say 'please' like a good girl?"

"Mikk."

"And you promise to be nice to me for the rest of the day," he added on an afterthought.

"_Mikk_."

"Rei," he said mockingly.

"Do you care about me that little?!" said Rei. "I'm going to die here, _pull me up_!"

"You're not going to die, idiot," he said in a disparaging tone. "You're two feet off the ground."

"Don't _lie_," she said shrilly. "_Get me out of here_."

Tyki sighed and reached down, gripping her wrists tightly.

"Ready?" he said dryly.

"Yes," she said through gritted teeth.

He pulled almost effortlessly and she felt herself be lifted easily. Rei kicked up on the giant mass of rock in front of her, hoping to facilitate the process, but it seemed that Tyki had been unprepared for the sudden "help." Her wrist jerked out of his grip and she felt herself falling back down; she reached up instinctively and grabbed the first thing she could see—Tyki's shirt—and dragged him down with her.

The two of them went tumbling down the cliff, and after only a few seconds, Rei felt her body connect with jagged ground. Tyki fell on top of her, causing her back to dig into some protruding object on the floor.

"OFF, MIKK!" she nearly screamed as pain jolted though her shoulder.

Tyki got up slowly, obviously winded by the fall, then stared down at her.

"Why did you drag me down with you?" he asked in disbelief. "I can't believe you—"

"Shut up," she said, shutting her eyes as she sat up, gripping her shoulder. "Am I bleeding? Is that blood? I can't tell…shit, am I bleeding?"

Tyki knelt down beside her and brought a hand up to her shoulder, his golden eyes gleaming in concern. She forgot her pain for a second and just stared at his beautiful face. Was it just her, or did he look a bit more haggard than normal? A bit pale? Was that veneer of sweat just rainwater, or really perspiration? Was his breathing a bit more labored, or was she just overly concerned?

"You're going to have to move your hand, Rei, I can't see it…good girl." He pried her hand away, looking at her back. "No, there's no blood…it's probably just a bruise…and it just feels wet because of the rain."

Rei didn't answer, simply rotating her shoulder to affirm that it was working fine.

"Right, well let's get back to camp," she said shortly. Her eyes scanned the cliff in front of her. Damn it, it really had only been about six feet…she had been in no danger at all.

"Can't," said Tyki simply. "I got lost."

She stared at him incredulously.

"You're _joking_!"

"I'm afraid not. But before you decide to yell at me, let's find some shelter from the rain, all right?" he said, brushing his damp hair out of his eyes. "Perhaps…under that rather prominent rock over there?"

Rei glanced in the direction he was gesturing, spying a slanted rock protruding out of the precipice, offering some sort of shelter under it.

She nodded curtly and began to walk over to it, rotating her shoulder all the while to retain its movement, as the rain began to pelt and the wind began to blow rather fiercely. She only prayed that there wouldn't be any lightning…

Rei abruptly noticed that Tyki was trailing behind her. She turned around to accost him, only to see that he was a few feet away. One of his hands gripped his head, as if he were suffering a bad headache.

Somewhat worried, she walked back over to him, eyes squinting as the wind blew fiercer.

"Hey…" she said, bringing a hand up to his forehead. "Are you all right?"

"Shit…yeah," he said, breathing strained.

"Did you hit your head when we fell?" she questioned.

"No…let's just get over there."

She nodded, not assured that Tyki was fine, but grasped his free hand and steered him to the intended shelter. She realized that his hand was shaking, and this alarmed her all the more.

"Are you sure you're all right?" she asked as they managed to get out of the rain temporarily and sat under the shelter. "Tyki—"

"Hah," he said almost vindictively as he slid down the wall to sit down, "you're calling me by my first name now?"

"Are you okay?!" she said, kneeling beside him. "Oh my…Tyki, you're shaking visibly—"

"Would you just shut up?!" he snapped. "Just shut up and sit there!"

Rei slid her hands down his cheeks, ignoring his angry change in demeanor. Something had to be wrong—this wasn't what he was normally like…perhaps the fall had done something to him? But he hadn't really fallen on the ground—he'd fallen on _her_—so he should've been all right…

It suddenly hit her.

"…Did you take your meds today?" she said coolly.

There was no response—Tyki simply laid his head down on her shoulder.

"…Or maybe you took too much?" she suggested.

"Rei, if you don't shut up, I will hurt you," he said in a deadly tone.

There seemed to be real threat underlying his voice, so Rei didn't respond. Instead, she sat down on her knees in front of him and brought her hands up to his temples, rubbing them. Tyki's body relaxed slightly in front of her, and quite abruptly, he brought his arms around her and held her to his chest. The shaking in his body was still noticeable.

"So tell me," she said after a pregnant pause. "Did you under or overdose?"

"I thought I told you to shut up."

"Tell me."

"Do you have a light?"

"What?" she said disbelievingly.

"A light. I want to smoke," he said wearily.

"No," she said vehemently. "Are you crazy?! How is smoking going to help you any—"

"It stops the shaking," he said evenly.

"You're insane," she said tersely.

His hold around her waist tightened.

"Shut up," he growled.

Rei let out a breath, bringing her hands into his hair and winding her fingers through the wet curls, trying to soothe his shaking.

"I really need something," he said into her neck. "…Drugs…cigarette…something…to make me stop thinking…"

"You can't take meds. And you can't smoke," she said, her voice muffled by her hair. "You're going to kill yourself like this, Tyki."

"Why do you care?" he said, laughing softly with a tint of malice. "Why would you care? You hate me…and I…hate you. God, why are we here by ourselves…stuck in the middle of nowhere…with no middle ground?"

Rei bit down on her lower lip.

"I never said that I hated you," she said quietly. "…It's also news to me that you hate me."

"I do," he breathed, and his grip was tightening to the point where there was pain. "I hate you for your eyes, for when you look at me…you judge me…and I fail. I hate…that you're innocent…if I didn't hate you…why do I wish for your destruction? For you…to fail too, along with me…I want to drag you down…corrupt you…destroy you…because I hate you."

There was silence after his words. Rei didn't reply, simply closing her eyes and burying her nose in his damp hair. The wind blew and the rain droplets came pelting through their haven, chilling them once again; she held him close, he held her close, and they did not speak.

It was not surprising, what he had just said. She had always known…or perhaps had just recently picked up on the darker sides of Tyki…and had realized that the gentleman she had seen at the Gucci party, so long ago, had been a façade, a veneer that he put up to protect himself. And he was afraid of letting himself be seen.

What Lulu had done to Tyki, Rei didn't want to know. She could deduce the little pieces herself, based on Tyki's reaction and the information that Lavi had told her. And she knew that Tyki had been broken…this confident, almost egotistical man…he had been broken.

And he was battered now, his body shaking from the effects of his self-destructive habits. Rei gritted her teeth. This was not the Tyki she wanted to see.

"If you…if you wanted to destroy me, so to speak," she said, "you could have. You could have consented to my confession yesterday…you could have toyed with me, corrupted me from the inside…" She gave a small scoff, kissing the top of his head gently. "But you didn't. You rejected me."

"I…didn't reject you," he said harshly. "I told you what I wanted…and had you accepted, I would've corrupted you—"

"But you also knew that I would never accept. I would never consent to be your plaything. And by…indirectly rejecting me, you'd be protecting me."

"You…think too highly of me," he said.

A silence.

"…Tyki, why do you hate yourself so much?" asked Rei softly, stroking his hair. "What…did you do to make you hate yourself so much?"

There was no answer. He only replied after a long pause.

"You said you…loved me yesterday, Rei," said Tyki. "Why?"

"…Because I…because I've seen parts of you that make me think…that you are not so hateful as you perceive yourself to be."

"…That's it?"

"No…but…I don't know how to say the rest," she answered.

"Then why…do you still come to me…after I rejected you?"

"…Because…" She began stroking his hair again, wrapping the silky strands around her fingers as she grew nervous. "Because I…want to show you…why you should love yourself…"

He let out a short and ill-placed laugh and pulled away from her, his arms falling loosely to the ground. He didn't look at her into her eyes, nor did he say anything for a few brief seconds. And when he did, he no longer addressed the topic they had so intently been discussing.

"You seem cold," he said quietly, resting his forehead on hers.

The out-of-place statement took her off guard.

"I-I'm all right," she stuttered. "You may be…a bit cold…"

"Do you want me to…" Tyki breathed in raggedly, then exhaled, letting out a puff of smoke as the air around them grew chillier. "Want me to warm you up?"

"N-no, I'm fine—"

But then he looked straight at her, his gaze meeting hers head-on willingly for the first time the entire day, and any resistance she had thought of faded away. She leaned forward on her own accord and met his lips gently as she slipped her hands into his shaking ones. He was so warm…

Rei felt Tyki take in another breath; he then pushed her on to the ground, pinning her arms on either side of her face as he locked their fingers together. This kiss…it was so different. It was…amazing. Nothing. Nothing like before. Nothing like their lust-driven, passion-filled kisses from before. This was…gentle. Kind, almost. A side that Rei hadn't seen before.

The rain fell, still. And the wind blew. And it was cold.

But his hands had stopped shaking. They were firm, assertive…and warm. They were warm.

So this was Tyki.

* * *

**Free Talk**:

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Thank you all _so much_ for the amazing reception last chapter! And thank you even more for your support this half-year. Diamonds in Wine just started off as something fun and different, and I was so surprised at how well it was received, as well as how many people have continued to support me through its ups and downs.

So thank you all very very very much. I sincerely mean it.

So about this chapter. Haha, I feel bad, I don't know if this chapter was to your liking or not...like I said in the last Free Talk, it's a bit shojo-esque, but even though it was unrealistic, I hope it was okay. Tyki may be a bit OOC, but I feel like it's really necessary for him to be sentimental at times...and also to acknowledge that he's severely flawed himself. I'll stop blabbering here, but if you want more explanation, you can go to my livejournal!

And again, seriously, thank you so much for the reception last chapter. It was...incredible. :)

Please review! Thank you and Happy New Year!

xoxo,

m.n


	26. End of the Beginning

**Chapter 26: End of the Beginning**

**

* * *

** _"Flying on your motorcycle,  
watching all the ground beneath you drop.  
You'd kill yourself for recognition;  
kill yourself to never ever stop."_

_--**Radiohead. **"High and Dry"_

_

* * *

_

They just lied there, side by side on a smooth surface of cool rock as the wind and rain continued to assault the air around them. There had been no desire after that lingering kiss. No hard-driven lust to go further. They'd simply stopped and, without another word, settled down. Their hands were still interlocked, each of Rei's slim, pale fingers in between Tyki's tan, rough ones. His shaking had stopped, but it didn't look like it'd fully halted—it was more like he'd attained the willpower to suppress it.

It took a while for conversation to start up again, and when it did, it was Rei simply trying to confirm what had just happened.

"So…" said Rei over the wind. "Are we…"

"An item?" he said. "I suppose so."

Rei could not repress a smile, looking away as she did so. Tyki caught it.

"What are you just grinning for?" he said dryly. "You're pathetic."

"Shut it," she said, blushing and sitting up, still looking out at the landscape. "Why don't you think of an idea so that we can somehow get out of here?"

"Why me?" asked Tyki, sitting up with her. "Because you're too busy blushing?"

"Shut up."

"…You're hilarious," he chuckled. "Just the slightest thing—"

"This isn't a 'slight' thing!" she said, turning to face him once the heat in her cheeks had died down. "Tyki, you don't understand. You are an _idol_—ever since I started taking the tiniest bit of interest in showbiz, you were my favorite—you wouldn't know how it feels to be…to be able to…date you…"

Tyki looked at her intently, his expression half-amused, half-disturbed.

"I wouldn't want to know how it feels to date me," he said seriously. "I would hate it."

Rei glanced at him, a bit surprised at his staid tone. He nodded a bit once their eyes met, and he then turned back to the wet landscape before them.

"You don't know what I'm like," he said quietly. "You…might've seen a few parts of me that most others haven't, but you still largely don't know what I'm like. What I'm capable of doing…and what I could do to hurt you." His golden eyes swiveled to meet hers again. "Are you fine with that?"

Rei feigned nonchalance and just shrugged.

"If you do anything stupid, I'll just kick you in the crotch and demand an answer," she said, running her free hand through her damp hair. "Is that satisfactory?"  
"No. I'd like to keep my manhood, thank you."

Rei gave a small laugh and leaned her head back on the wall.

"Are you…feeling all right?" she asked. "I mean…"

"I don't think I'm detoxing, if that's what you mean," he replied. "I don't feel great though…a bit nauseous…which is why I stopped kissing you."

"…I'm _that_ bad?" she said incredulously.

"Heavens, no. No, definitely not. Not your fault. I just don't feel…healthy right now."

She turned around so that her body was facing him.

"About the meds…" she said slowly, "could we get you to…stop?"

"They're prescribed," he said pointedly. "It's perfectly legit for me to be using them."

"Right, but not to the point where you start shaking if you haven't had them in a couple of hours," she said dryly. "How many did the doctor tell you to have per day?"

"…Two?" said Tyki.

"And how many do you usually have?"

"Rei, two measly tablets doesn't help my depression any—"

"_How many do you take_?"

"…Depends," he said halfheartedly, "er…on my mood, really…"

She glared at him.

"Ten?" she guessed.

"…Give or take," he muttered. "Look, it's not as bad as you think—"

"Tyki!"

"It didn't start off as that many, but two didn't work so I just continued upping it…"

"Seriously, wing yourself off of it!" she said, her grip tightening around his.

"And you make it sound _so_ easy," he mumbled.

"I know it's not!" she said anxiously. "But you've got to stop…"

"…We'll see," he said cryptically, nuzzling her cheek.

"Don't give me a 'we'll see.' I'm moving in your room, right? Where I will have access to all these pills? I will be regulating it—"

"Dear, that's unnecessary—"

"I've seen enough _House_ to know that telling you to stop _is_ necessary."

"Rei."

The finality mixed with annoyance in his voice made her shut up and sigh. She was getting ahead of herself…

"Sorry," she said softly.

"Why don't we just wait until someone notices that we're not at the hotel?" suggested Tyki, leaning his head on hers. "Maybe Kate or Bookman will."

"Yeah…" she said disinterestedly.

Except for the cold, which bothered her slightly, she wouldn't mind if time just stopped momentarily, and she could just sit by Tyki, her sole source of warmth, for eternity.

"Tyki, why exactly do you have meds for depression?"

"Because I've killed people," he answered indifferently. "I'm fine though."

Rei was beginning to realize that Tyki was an incredibly contradictory person, but didn't mention it, instead blaming it on the fact that he probably wasn't thinking all that coherently at the moment. She felt his hand shift against hers, gripping it tighter. She looked up at him in question.

"Cold?" he asked.

"I'm fine."

"You're supposed to say 'yes' so I can take off my shirt and warm you up."

"What ill-thought delusions are you having right now?" she said suspiciously.

"None at all," answered Tyki, leaning down and pressing his lips to her forehead. "I just figured we might as well be lovey-dovey now before we get back. After all, you don't seem like one in support of PDA."

"You are correct," she said dryly.

Tyki sighed and leaned his head back on hers, trailing his thumb over the palm of her hand.

"Why don't you go to sleep for a while," he proposed. "I'll keep watch."

"I'm not sleepy. I'm not going to sleep."

"Then I will," he said, his warm breath gracing her skin. "I think I might end up throwing up if I stay awake any longer."

"Was that suggestion just so I could keep watch?'

"Yeah," he chuckled. "Keep an eye out for the bears, all right?"

"There are no bears."

Again he laughed softly, his lips touching her skin lightly, as his breathing steadied. Breath in, breath out. Rei continued to watch to rain.

Pitter-patter. Breathe in, breathe out. She glanced down at their entwined fingers. Thumb, thumb, index, index, middle, middle, ring, ring, pinky, pinky.

* * *

Cross was confused.

He had thought his apprentice was a worthless idiot who was only good for grunt work. This was impossible. Was he _actually_ good at photography?

"Er, Shishou," said Allen's nervous voice behind him. "The storm's only going to get worse—shouldn't we go send people to find Rei and Mikk?"

"This your camera?" the redheaded photographer said, holding up the Nikon.

Allen looked apprehensive. "Er, yeah. Shishou…we need to find Rei—"

"You took these?" said Cross, showing him a picture of Tyki on the beach.

"Uh, yeah. About Rei—"

"When'd you take them?" said Cross, ignoring Allen completely.

"About…two days ago? Shishou, _Rei_—"

"These aren't bad…" murmured Cross, looking down at the playback screen. "Say—"

"Oi! Cross!"

Something connected with the back of Cross's head ferociously, nearly sending the camera flying out of his hands.

"Who did that?!" he roared, straightening up, his cheeks as red as his hair. "Who…" He checked what had connected with his head. A stiletto. "WHO'S THE LITTLE SHIT WHO SENT A BLOODY STILETTO FLYING MY WAY?!"

"I did!" shouted Kate in return, stalking over to her fallen shoe and putting it back on. "Why don't you stop gawking at that idiotic camera and actually think of a plan that could get Rei out of the bloody mountains!"

"What about…Mikk?" said Lavi weakly.

"He got eaten by a bear," sighed Kate with dramatic effect. "There is no longer anything that we can do for him. The most we can do is find his beloved Rei—oh, wait, he didn't give a damn about her—never mind, looks like we _can't_ do anything for that bastard—"

"Kate…" said Lavi reproachfully.

"Don't worry, Lavi!" she said, kissing him fully. "I shall console you for your loss—tonight, in bed…"

"Ahem!" Allen cleared his throat loudly. "We need to find Rei and Mikk, for the umpteenth time!"

"Kate, I don't appreciate you undermining my authority!" yelled Cross, shaking a finger at her. "Sexy and beautiful though you are, I'm not afraid to fire you!"

"Try it!" she hollered back, tossing her glorious brown hair over her shoulder. "I've got plenty of job opportunities, Cross—"

"Are you saying I'm not worth your time?!"

"No, but sometimes I think you aren't!"

"PEOPLE!" bellowed Allen, banging his hand on the table in front of him.

It splintered. All the inhabitants of the room stared at him.

"Uh," he said awkwardly, standing in front of it to hide the two fallen pieces from view, "we need to send a team out to find them."

"Already did," said Kanda from across the room. He was examining a cue stick and hitting the billiard table lightly with it. "About…" His blue eyes flickered to the analog clock hanging on the wall of the game room. "About an hour and a half ago."

"Why didn't you say anything sooner?" said Allen in a deadly tone.

"I did," said Kanda nonchalantly. "But I guess your ears reciprocate your height—meaning they're _small_—and you didn't hear."

"No, I would've said something about it if I had heard, which means you didn't say anything."

"Or you're just deaf."

"Wanna go, Ba-Kanda?!"

"Try your luck at billiards, moyashi" said Kanda coolly, tossing him a cue. "We can just kill time waiting for those two…vagabonds to come back."

Meanwhile, Lavi had sat Kate down on his lap and was trying to reason with her on why she shouldn't abhor Mikk.

"He's not that bad," he said reasonably.

"Not listening, Lavi," said Kate patiently.

"No, you just need to understand him, dear—if he and Rei start going—"

"I'm still not listening, darling," said Kate.

"Aren't you very good friends with Rei?" said Lavi as if he were lecturing a five year old.

"Yes," said Kate. "At least, I want to be really good friends with her. She's a very sweet girl."

"Right, well, since she's snogging Mikk at every opportune moment—"

"That's for work," said Kate pleasantly.

"I think both of us know that Rei's got some sort of feelings for Mikk—"

"Easily squashed out," smiled Kate.

"Kate—"

Lavi was unable to voice his exasperation, for Kate wrapped her arms around his neck and began to kiss him at full force. Cross rolled his eyes at the sight. Kate was such a dominating woman—she knew exactly what to get from her boyfriend and how.

The photographer sat down on a couch, pulling out Allen's camera and looking through the photos again. Lenalee sat delicately down next to him, peering over his shoulder.

"Did Allen take these?" she inquired.

"I suppose," said Cross, studying an image of Tyki on the beach. "He…did half a decent job."

"Oh, I remember this…I think Mikk-san was staring at Matsumomo-san," said Lenalee. "It gives off a very…mysterious vibe. He did a good job."

"Eh," shrugged Cross, though he secretly agreed. "They're decent."

He continued to flip through the saved photos, strolling through a few worthless landscape ones until he landed on one of Rei.

The setting wasn't in the Isles—Cross was guessing Tokyo, judging from the snowy landscape—and she was sitting on a park bench, her green eyes a bit hazy and out of focus, looking off into the distance. The lighting was especially good, captured at a perfect moment where sunlight illuminated her pale face, making her eyes seem deeper than they normally were.

Cross paused for a moment, then moved back to the one of Tyki on the beach, thinking.

The juxtaposition of the settings would also be a nice contrast…if they could move the two images and combine them into something…magnetic, that would be good.

Wait, what was he thinking? Was he actually going to use this idiot's photography for the gallery? This was going to be a professional gathering—of course not!

But…it'd be such a waste.

Cross pursed his lips.

"You know, Cross-san," said Lenalee thoughtfully, taking the camera out of his hands and scrolling back to the one of Rei, "if you could combine these two images, they'd make a really good 'magnetic attraction' picture. Don't you think so?"

"You're so smart," he said with a indulgent smile. "I was thinking the exact same thing."

He moved a hand to pat Lenalee's head. A cue suddenly appeared in front of his face.

"Shishou…" said Allen in a dangerous voice, "that's sexual harassment…"

Cross lifted an eyebrow.

"You _dare_ point a cue stick at me?" he said lethally.

Allen seemed to suddenly register what he had just done.

"I…er, I was just protecting Lenalee!"

"Oi, moyashi," said Kanda dryly, appearing behind him and hitting him on the head with his cue. "Marian wasn't doing anything."

"Exactly," said Cross pompously.

Kanda waved his cue threateningly in front of Cross.

"Lay a perverted hand on her…" he said, his eyes flashing dangerously.

Cross gave an annoyed sigh and threw his hands into the air.

"Why the hell are you all paired up?! You all are half my age with nowhere near the charm or experience! Where's my woman?"

"You know," said Lenalee, thinking hard, "I did hear a rumor that you were dating Klaud Nine, the nice American lady—"

"_NICE?!_" said Cross, looking completely horrified. "_KLAUD_?! YOU'RE INSANE!"

Kate stopped kissing Lavi and turned around to face them, her expression very cold.

"Klaud is a brilliant woman," she said icily. "Just because she was immune to your so-called _charm_, Cross—"

"Let me guess," groaned Cross. "You're related to her."

"Heavens, no! Though that would be such an honor," she added on afterthought. "Great woman, Klaud. Knows how to put those men in place."

Cross exhaled.

"If I ever meet that deranged woman again, I swear, I'll —"

"You'll what?" said a female voice from the doorway.

Cross turned slowly to the entrance, praying that it wasn't who he thought it was.

But it was.

"I thought I'd just come here and say that I found some of your items of interest," said the extremely beautiful blonde American. "Tyki Mikk and that…hm….I don't remember her name…but they've been escorted to their rooms—"

"Why are you here?" said Cross feebly.

Klaud arched an eyebrow. "I'm here for a shoot. What, you think that I can no longer model since I'm thirty-two?"

"Nope," sighed Cross, lying down on the sofa. "I just didn't want to see you…but one thing I can't deny about you is that you're beautiful."

"That's nice," said Klaud sincerely. "Oh, Kate! Good to see you again."

"Hey Klaud," the German woman grinned, nodding in greeting as her hands continued to unbutton Lavi's shirt. "How's it going?"

"Pretty well," answered Klaud with a meaningful smile. "Looks like you hooked another big one. Who would've thought that Lavi Bookman would fall to your hands?"

"Ah, Lavi likes the thought of being caught by me, mm?" said Kate, kissing Lavi.

"Of course," said Lavi dreamily, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Mm…"

"So, Klaud, how's that nice Mexican man of yours?" questioned Kate as Lavi made his way down her neck.

"Broke up," said Klaud mildly. "He wasn't…durable."

"If you're bored, I know someone who's dying to get caught," said Kate mischievously, nodding over at Cross. "That man over there needs some loving."

Klaud let out a laugh.

"Been there, done that," she chuckled.

"And never want to go back," muttered Cross.

"Shouldn't we go check up on Rei and Mikk?" said Allen, obviously perturbed by the big motif of sex hanging in the atmosphere.

No one paid attention to him. After all, sex was a much more interesting topic. Even Cross had to agree.

* * *

"So I'm still not sure—was it _the_ Klaud Nine who rescued us?" said Rei in the bathroom after she'd finished showering.

"For the last time, _yes_," sighed Tyki, his voice echoing from the shower room. "Famous as she is, stop repeating the same thing over and over again."

"But—"

"One would think you'd stop hyperventilating every time you saw a celebrity after being around us for so long—"

"But she saved us from the storm and the pouring rain and the bears—"

"There are no bears," said Tyki wryly.

"—and she's just so badass!" said Rei, fiddling through cabinet. "Whoa. That's a lot of pills."

"Rei, don't go looking into—"

"Tyki," said Rei, pulling out some bottles, "your prescriptions say that you're supposed to eat…two antidepressants per day, two…muscle relaxants? What are those for?"

"Dunno," replied Tyki. "I don't really take those."

"Oh…well, two anti-anxiety pills…"

"Yeah, those I take," he said.

"Overdose?"

There was no answer, so Rei assumed that the correct answer was "yes." She bit her lower lip and continued shuffling through the bottles of pills, counting out the correct amount for each day. Tyki's biggest problem was the antidepressants, probably.

"Do you…mind if I sort of…limited the amount you took everyday?" she said.

There was no answer again.

She let out a breath. Rei knew she was being overly intrusive into his affairs, but she was genuinely worried…was she being a bitch? Already? Was she caring too much? But what if he just continued upping the amount he took, what would happen then?

Rei was so lost in thought that she did not notice the water stop running, or the steps that Tyki took to appear right behind her.

"Put them up," he said a tad coolly.

Rei didn't move, but continued to chew on her lower lip. She heard Tyki let out a breath and lean over, taking the bottles away from her and putting them back in the cabinet. She suddenly realized that he was only wearing a towel.

"_Tyki_!" she exclaimed, moving hastily away from him.

He arched an eyebrow. "What?"

"Put…some clothes on," she said, annoyed as she stalked out of the bathroom.

He caught her by the shoulders and pulled her to his still-not-quite-dry body. Rei felt her cheeks darken and attempted to pull away.

"Stop it," she said somewhat snappishly. "I…don't want you…all…"

"Touchy-feely, I get it," he said shortly. "You've just got to understand that it's a bit…hard for me not to—"

Rei leaned up and kissed him gently, cutting him off short.

"How about we make a deal?" she said amidst Tyki kissing her back. "In terms of…physical intimacy, we can go a bit farther than…normalcy would dictate. In return, why don't you cut down on your pills?"

"What a manipulative girl," he said breathily, pressing her against the wall. "You want me to be addicted to you instead?"

"Healthier, right?"

"Definitely not." His hand began to slink up her shirt. "But…I'll think about it."

"How do you still need to think about it?" she said with a fleeting smirk. "Aren't I better than a few pills?"

"Arrogant, aren't you? Good as you are, it's not convenient for you to be my drug—I can't just have you here and there for fun and pop you in my mouth—oh wait, I can—"

"Okay, this conversation's over," said Rei, her time playing the temptress expiring. "Put some clothes on."

"It seems like you can't keep up the act of being outwardly sexy for very long," he remarked, chuckling as she left. "Ah…we'll have to work on that. Wait in the room, would you?"

Rei shut the door behind her and surveyed her reflection in the mirror. Thinking that she should switch into longer jeans, she went to her suitcase and began fumbling through it, trying to find another pair of skinnies. She came across a package at the base of the suitcase and unwrapped it, unsure of what to find.

It was cologne. The Light Blue Pour Homme that she'd gotten for Tyki. She sprayed it again, sniffing a bit. Mm. Still sensual, still sexy, still very much like Tyki…though perhaps a bit too innocent for his persona.

"What are you doing?" said Tyki's voice behind her.

She turned around to face him, looking him up and down.

"Can't you ever wear something more comfortable?" she said disdainfully, looking at his black dress pants.

"One hundred percent silk, dear. That's pretty comfortable," he said, plucking the cologne bottle out of her hand. "Hm. Good taste, Rei."

"I got it for you in Tokyo," she said, straightening up. "Thought it suited you well."

"Really?" he said, tossing it up in the air and catching it deftly. "Seen the commercial for this?"

"No."

"Pretty sexy," he said, spraying the scent on him. "Thirty seconds long, and it's just some pretty hot kissing."

"Mm hm," said Rei skeptically.

"Want to try?" he said with an alluring smile. "Because, you know, this scent is supposed to compel you to make out with me."

"Dream on," she said, opening the door.

"Hey," he said, catching onto her shoulder and shutting the door again.

His tone was serious again.

"…What?"

There was a slight silence.

"…I want to give this a shot," he said quietly by her ear. "Dating you. I want to do it seriously."

It seemed appropriate that Rei didn't say anything, so she didn't. Tyki took a deep breath and continued.

"There…there are sides of me you won't like. I…know that. I just wanted to say…or ask, rather…for you to be a bit…tolerable of me."

"I think I was prepared for that," she answered softly. "And since I still…sought after you despite knowing that…I think you can trust me to be tolerable. To an extent."

The arm on her shoulder relaxed a bit, and he brushed his lips against her cheek gently.

"So…" he breathed, "are we just suppose to…announce it to them?"

Rei winced, thinking of Allen and Kate's reaction, and internally thinking of Kanda's.

"Er…let them figure it out themselves."

Tyki breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good. Because the longer this stays hidden, the less torment Bookman will put me through."

* * *

It didn't seem to take the rest very long to figure out what had happened.

Rei went to the game room first alone—Tyki went to go get a drink from the bar—and after assuring Allen and the others that she was quite fine, sat down on the couch. It was somewhat squashed, as Rei sat between Allen and Kanda—they needed a buffer—and thus filled up the rest of the couch.

"So, Rei," smiled Kate innocently, "did Mikk make it back safely as well?"

"Yeah," nodded Rei.

Kate's hazel eyes narrowed imperceptibly, but the smile did not falter.

"Damn it," she said sweetly. "I was hoping he got eaten."

"Kate…" said Rei wearily.

"He's a bad, bad man," said Kate, her tone growing harder. "I had to threaten his life in order to make him go after you, and even then—the nerve he had! To call _me_ a harpy! And to call _you_ mini-harpy! The little bastard—"

"That's quite enough, Kate," said Tyki's silky voice from the doorway. "You _are_ a harpy—who tries to kill people with six-inch heels! That is evil. Evil."

"And you deserved it," said Kate stiffly.

Tyki simply shook his head and walked over to where Rei was sitting, arching an eyebrow at the lack of space for him on the sofa.

"What?" she said, a bit of warning in her voice.

He wordlessly picked her up and sat down in her seat.

"_Tyki_!"

"Relax, you can just sit on me," he said, putting her on his lap like she were a child telling Santa what she wanted for Christmas. His arm curled around her waist. "Better?"

There was a dead silence in the room as all the inhabitants stared at them. Rei groaned inwardly—_way_ to make it obvious…

Lavi reacted first, letting out a loud whoop just as Allen jerked away instinctively with a horrorstruck expression.

"No way!" Allen shouted.

"Tyki, you just totally screwed everything up…" Rei muttered, rubbing her temples with her hand.

"What?" he said, completely oblivious.

"Kate, that's five hundred you owe me," grinned Lavi. "They did it!"

"They did not _do_ it," said Kate sourly. "That's what we were betting on."

"Wait, no, I wasn't talking about sex!"

"Well, I was," she said, tapping her foot impatiently.

"No, I was saying that they were going to start dating!"

"Rei!" said Kate, frustrated. "You just lost me five hundred!"

"You bet on us?" said Rei deprecatingly.

"No—well, yes, we did," she said irritably. "I didn't think Mikk would actually date someone though! Ugh…now I really wish he'd been eaten by a bear…"

"I'm right here, Kate," said Tyki acidly, "nor am I deaf."

"My bad," said Kate unrepentantly.

"REI!" said Allen, recovering from his initial shock, completely aghast as he grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. "ARE YOU INSANE?!"

"No—"

"YES YOU ARE! YOU'RE COMPLETELY INSANE! MIKK?! _MIKK_?! INSANE!"

"What did you do to him?!" she said snappishly to Tyki. "Why is he so opposed to you?"

Tyki simply shrugged. "Maybe he's jealous of you and wants me to stay single so he can have me to himself."

Allen looked even more horrified at this prospect.

"No, I correct myself," he said hoarsely. "_You_—" he pointed a finger at Tyki, "are insane. _You_—" he pointed to Rei, "are just stupid. Why would you—"

"It's not that bad!" Rei said, throwing up her hands. "It's just Tyki!"

"Well, this isn't bad," said Cross musingly. "This had better make your photos even better though."

"That's all you think about," grumbled Kate. "Work, work, work. So what if Rei is in a completely unhealthy relationship with a total moron and—"

"I've never been insulted this many times in my life," said Tyki, slightly irritated.

A ringtone sounded, cutting off the conversation.

"That's mine," said Tyki. "And that's Cyril's ringtone. Joy…get up for a minute, Rei, I gotta answer."

"I'll go get a drink," she said acerbically, shooting an glare at Allen who was still staring stonily between her and Tyki.

"I'll step out in the hallway for a sec," said Tyki, his tone no longer playfully cross. He was looking a bit angry at the prospect of speaking with his brother.

They left the room and parted ways, not bothering to wave bye to the others. They weren't terribly happy with the unwelcome response to their relationship.

* * *

"Hello," said Tyki uninvitingly into the receiver.

"TYKI!" said Cyril, his tone as jubilant as ever. "YOU WON'T BELIEVE IT!"

"Believe what?" he said. "That you're sending out another hit squad to kill us all?"

"Oh, stop it with your immaturity," pouted Cyril. "I FOUND IT!"

"Found what?"

"THE PERFECT ONE!"

"The perfect what?" said Tyki, starting to get confused.

"IT'LL BE AMAZING!"

"What will be amazing?"

"YOUR WEDDING!"

Tyki stopped dead in the hallway. Had Cyril found out about Rei already? That was a little too fast. And slightly disturbing. But the welcome response had been unexpected…

"Oh. Right, it's still a bit too soon for that," said Tyki uneasily. "I mean, we just started dating—"

"WHAT?! YOU'RE DATING SOMEONE?!"

"Wait, what are you talking about? What'd you find?"

Cyril was beaming, definitely. Tyki could just hear the joy leaking out of his voice.

"Your fiancée."

* * *

"You're unbelievable," snapped a voice from a few feet away.

Rei turned from the vending machines, her eyes landing on Kanda. Her stomach gave an unpleasant lurch. Damn…

"You couldn't just _hold_ out for a few more months?!" he said, his blue eyes flashing. "I asked for you to hold on just so I could get myself sorted out, but no, you just have to go and spring this up on me—"

"I—"

"Great, so what am I supposed to feel now?!" he said angrily. "Just when I was thinking of splitting up with Lenalee—"

"You _what_?!"

"I was thinking about breaking up with her," he said furiously, punching the machine in front of him as he leaned over. "I was thinking about what you'd said before—that maybe if I hadn't chosen her to begin with, we could work out—but obviously you don't feel the same way—"

"I told you before that I couldn't guarantee anything!" she said desperately. "That I was changing—"

"You…damn it, _woman_!" snarled Kanda. "So fucking fickle—"

"It's been a month, Kanda, you couldn't expect me to wallow in self-pity for so long—"

"If _my_ fucking feelings could last that long, so could yours," he said with burning coldness.

Rei had no idea how to respond to that. Kanda was right, in a twisted, awful way—she had moved too fast, maybe dating Tyki was wrong—

"I don't know what to do," she said, averting her eyes from his blazing blue ones. "I don't know, Kanda—I…why can't we just be friends or something—"

Kanda slid a finger up her chin, tilting it upward and forcing her to look at him.

"Between us," he said chillingly, "it was all or nothing. There is no middle ground. And since you ruined that, then forget it. Friends? You must be kidding."

"I—"

"Forget it, Matsumomo," he said icily. "Just go run back to your _Mikk_—"

"You screwed it up first!" she said, anger now surging into her. "It could've worked if you hadn't made the wrong choice—"

"I made a mistake, but everyone does at some point," he snarled. "But _you've_ made too many—_living_ with him while still claiming that you still felt something for me—you're unbelievable, and you just made the biggest mistake of your life, Matsumomo, for dating Mikk."

"I haven't made a mistake," she said with dead seriousness. "I haven't. I don't regret it."

"Then that's too bad. It'll hit you sooner or later."

He began to walk away, his beautiful profile fading in the distance.

"I won't regret it," she called down the hallway, unaware of the tear sliding down her cheek. "Because I don't think being with you would've made me any happier. At least Tyki isn't an emotionless bastard. At least he can call me by my first name."

Kanda stopped walking and turned around to face her. He was too far away for her to read his expression.

"You'll regret it. I promise you. You'll regret it…Rei."

She could hear the pain in his voice, something so…out of his character. Another tear slid down her cheek as she realized that there was nothing that could assuage it away.

Kanda was right. Between them, there was just all or nothing. Middle grounds didn't exist.

They never did.

* * *

**Free Talk**:

Yeah, Kanda fans are probably going to bitch-slap me to the next century. Sorry!

I can't say much about this chapter. It started off very lighthearted and easy, but this is the life of Matsumomo Rei, which is the equivalence of drama. Not really, but you get the gist.

Updates are gonna slow down a bit--school's started for me again and I'm starting to get this aching pain in my wrist and shoulders that's probably due to the amount of typing I've done over the last week. Speaking of typing, if you didn't know, Guns, Roses, and Butterflies was uploaded a few days ago (it's the TykixLulu backstory) as well as the start of an ItachixOC fic (A Glass of Crimson Souls). I'd be very very happy if you'd leave a review about them.

Again, in-depth talk about this chapter will be on my livejournal.

And thank you so much for doing such a wonderful job reviewing. These last few chapters have been review bombardment for me, and it's made me really happy. :) So please keep it up!

Review!

xoxo,

m.n


	27. Good Days

**Chapter 27: Good Days**

**

* * *

**

_"Two people in love, alone, isolated from the world, that's beautiful."_

_**--Milan**** Kundera**_

_**

* * *

**_

The next day was tense. It was expected, really, considering how they'd left each other the night before. Or, rather, how Kanda had left her. So Rei had ended up being very annoyed and depressed for the remainder of the evening; in fact, she'd been so caught up in her own thoughts that it didn't occur to her that Tyki hadn't said a word the duration of the night on his own volition. His responses had been one-worded and blunt, and he seemed constantly in thought.

But Rei, too caught up in her own problems, hadn't noticed.

The night rolled by stiffly, and when the two of them woke up in their room the next morning, they were silent. The lack of conversation was blamed on their feigned grogginess, but neither had slept well and yet were wide awake.

They were having a rest day today, as it was still raining hard outside and Kate had decided to slap-slash-throw some sense—in the form of a high-heel, her favored choice of weapon—into Cross and demand a rest day for the poor, exhausted Rei who had fallen off a cliff and had gone through "God-knows-what, belligerent bears and rabid foaming rabbits and poisonous plants that are more than willing to suffocate her to death." Mikk, Kate had offhandedly added, was in perfect condition to accompany Cross to the city in order to buy supplies, and hopefully get trampled over by fans.

The advocacy that Kate provided for Rei warmed the Japanese girl greatly; Kate was the first female friend that she'd had, and Rei was anxious for Kate to accept Tyki as both a person and as Rei's boyfriend—a cliché and unlikable term, but Rei couldn't think of anything else to label him as.

However, Rei had to admit to herself first that Tyki and she were an item. Kanda's comments from before pricked deeply into her resolve, and though Rei justified herself—she didn't regret her decision—she could not help but feel a bit guilty.

Nevertheless, breakfast the next day was an unpleasant affair, for Rei and Kanda were positively lighting sparks between them with their antagonism, and Rei had still not noticed Tyki's silent demeanor.

"Pass the salt," said Kanda curtly at breakfast.

The salt sat conveniently by Rei. She glanced at it and handed it over to him, setting it a bit too forcefully on the surface of the table. Without a word of thanks, he took it and sprinkled some of it over his bacon.

"What, you're too good to say thank you?" she said, stabbing her bagel with cream cheese.

"All you did was pass the salt—where's the need to say thanks?" he retorted, now cutting his bacon with unneeded vindictiveness.

"That's what manners are for, but I guess you don't have any so what's the point of lecturing," she snarled, tearing her bagel into smaller pieces.

"What's wrong with you two?" said Kate, completely bewildered with the animosity.

"Nothing," said Rei stiffly.

"_She's_ what's wrong," replied Kanda.

"All I was asking for was a bit of thanks—"

"Which was tactless on your part—"

"Shut up, you two," said Lavi dryly. "I don't know what the hell happened, but how can we eat if you're sniping at each other like a pair of fourth graders? I don't know why either of your _spouses_ haven't made you shut up yet."

"Rei's not married," snapped Kate. She then added, "And even if she were, divorces are common nowadays."

Tyki did not reply. Kate looked at him, alarmed.

"What?" she said, waving her yogurt-stained spoon in front of his face. "Hello? Are you in there? You're just going to let me insult you and that's it?"

"I'm really not in the mood, Kate," said Tyki with a tint of lethal edge in his voice.

Kate opened her mouth to snap back, but Rei shot her a warning look, her attention now focused on Tyki. His deadly tone was something to worry about.

"Tyki?" said Rei, concerned. "Is something wrong?"

"No," he answered brusquely, standing up and pushing aside his half-eaten toast. "I'm going to get some air." He left the room without another word, his hand sinking into his breast pocket, most likely searching for a cigarette. This early in the morning? Something was definitely wrong.

Rei glanced down at her bagel and put it on the plate, standing up and following him out the doors. She caught him sitting in the hallway against a windowsill. His eyes were lost deep in thought as he puffed, the smoke filling the air around him in a cloud of gray.

"Hey," she coughed, waving aside the smoke. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," he said, irritated.

"I'm not stupid, Tyki. You're acting strange."

"_Now_ you notice?"

Rei blinked multiple times, taken back with his harshness.

"Sorry," she said with a slight bit of acidity, "but I was a bit upset myself last night so I didn't notice that you were also being angsty, but now that I _have_ noticed, care to tell me?"

He scoffed. "So what were you upset a bout? Kanda?"

Rei blinked again, surprised that he had noticed.

"Er. Yes. How did you know?"

"It was hard to neglect the fact that your eyes were red from crying and that Kanda broke three cues in the billiards game with Walker and Bookman," answered Tyki sensibly. "See, even though _I_ was acting…angsty, as you say, I still noticed my surroundings."

"Sorry for being unobservant," she said edgily, "but I noticed in the end and I'm asking you what's wrong."

"What did Kanda say to you that made you so angry you cried? Or was it so sad that you cried?" said Tyki in awful thoughtfulness, looking up at her. "Perhaps how you guys 'broke up?' Or was it—"

"Look, if you don't want to tell me, forget it," said Rei coolly. "I'm not forcing you to spill all your horrible inner secrets out to me, as you seem adamant in remaining…mysterious, but if you are going to PMS like this like a freaking woman all the time, I suggest you stop. You don't need to tell me everything, but don't be angry with me for no reason."

"Or what?" said Tyki almost mockingly. "Since when was our relationship all fun and games, Rei? If you can't deal with my moody moments, then let's break up."

"And it hasn't even been a day," she said dryly, placing a hand on his shoulders and sliding her other hand up his neck, forcing him to look at her. "Though I can't say that it hasn't crossed my mind in the last…five minutes."

"What are you looking for?" he said, his eyes searching her face.

"Withdrawal symptoms," she replied, combing his countenance for signs of sweat or internal struggle. "You seem to always be irascible when you either overdose or under-dose, but since I'm not seeing any signs of you acting giddy or hallucinating, you probably just forgot to pop a few more pills than you normally do and instead are lashing out on me." Rei sighed, straightening up and looking down at him. "Aren't you the guy with the trust issue? You can't even tell me what I did wrong so I could apologize for it?"

"Who said you did anything wrong?" he said.

"I dunno, I just thought it had to be something I did if you were going to be so dislikable around me and you were unwilling to talk about it. I _do_ exist, you know. You can talk with me."

"I half-expected you to be yelling at me at this point," he said. "Why the sudden consideration?"

Rei arched an eyebrow. "Weren't you the one who said I had to be a bit more tolerant with you in order to make this relationship work?"

Tyki gave her a strange look, somewhere along the lines of relief, and dropped his cigarette to the ground. While crushing it with the heel of his foot, he pulled her down to his lap and brushed his lips against hers tenderly, his arm garlanding her neck. His other hand slinked down to the hem of her shirt, fiddling with the bottom, then slipping up under it, touching her bare stomach. His warm skin enveloping the side of her torso; he ran his hand up her back, tracing his fingers over her spine as he deepened the kiss. She could taste the remnants of his cigarette on his lips.

"You know," she said, gasping a bit as she pulled away from him, "if you PMS this much, you must be a woman. Now would be an awful good time to tell me when and how you got a sex change and—"

"I have a fiancée," said Tyki suddenly by her ear.

Rei straightened up, eyes widening in disbelief.

"…_WHAT_?!"

"Cyril called me last night to tell me he'd just arranged a fiancée for me."

"Who is it?" said Rei faintly.

"I don't know," admitted Tyki. "He just kept saying that she was 'perfect.' I didn't ask for details. I just hung up."

"Is this because we're dating?" said Rei.

"No. He doesn't know. Nor will he care," said Tyki bitterly. "Damn it…why the hell am I in the royal family—I'm an idiot for even joining…"

"…Is she…er…are you supposed to go home or something?" said Rei worriedly.

"…I'm not going to, even if they ask me."

"She's not coming here, is she?"

"I have no idea," said Tyki. "I hope not. I didn't give Cyril precisely where we are, but knowing him, he might have a tracker on me or something…" Tyki lapsed into silence. All of a sudden, he jerked his hand into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. "Shit, knowing him, he might've put one in the phone—"

"Well that's easily remedied," said Rei brightly, taking the phone and throwing it on the ground. She slammed the four-inch heel of her boot onto its screen, cracking it into pieces. "There," she said, satisfied. "That should do it."

Tyki simply stared at the broken and splintered phone.

"You know, I'm pretty sure I could've just _found_ the tracker and saved myself from buying a phone," he said slowly. "But I suppose your way works." He shot her an uneasy glance. "So are you…are you okay with this whole fiancée deal?"

Rei gave him an incredibly ugly and condescending look.

"What the hell?! What kind of question is that?! Am I okay with you having a fiancée?! Hell, no! I'm your girlfriend! Why would I be?!"

"Then what are we going to do about it?" said Tyki. "If I even set one foot back in Portugal, Cyril's going to drag me by the collar to the alter."

"That's not a problem," said Rei simply. "This project with Cross will take ages, a year, even. Within that time, we can definitely manage to break off your engagement."

"You don't know who you're dealing with, Rei," said Tyki seriously. "The royal family isn't a power to be trifled with—"

"Your brother wouldn't dare trifle with your work, would he?" said Rei with a raised eyebrow. "As long as he or your fiancée don't show up _here_, of all places, then we at least have a little time to…work our way around it."

"And exactly how do you plan on getting rid of my fiancée?" said Tyki skeptically.

Rei gave a little smile.

"It depends on what kind of girl she is. Who knows, maybe she's an absolute dear who hates you and is more than willing to break off the marriage."

"Or she's a terrorizing bitch who will cling to me like an octopus."

"Then I'll just bitch-slap her into the next century and tell her to get the hell away from you, mm?" said Rei, running her fingers up Tyki's cheek. "We can deal with it. Next time you're having problems, do tell me, all right? Instead of acting like a complete jerk who vents on me…"

"Sorry," said Tyki, bringing her so that she was sitting on his lap. "On the other hand, why don't you open up a bit with this whole trust issue? Care to tell me what happened between you and Kanda?"

Rei frowned, her green eyes narrowing as she determinedly looked at the window behind Tyki. In her abrupt care for Tyki's dilemma, she had conveniently forgotten her own.

"Let me guess," mused Tyki, wrapping his hands around her waist. "He confronted you last night, said something along the lines of 'you're a whore for changing men so fast' and left you feeling very guilty about dating me."

"Right on the dot," she mumbled, focusing her gaze on a particularly red berry of a lush bush outside.

Tyki's grip around her waist tightened.

"So?" he said. "You regret dating me?"

"No," she said stiffly. "I don't. And I told him that last night—I don't regret my decision."

A smirk of some sort played at Tyki's lips.

"You know," he said slowly, "Kanda _is_ better for you. He doesn't have this drug problem or mood swings."

"I'm glad you can acknowledge all your deficiencies," said Rei, finally tearing her line of sight away from the bush and meeting Tyki's gaze. "At least you _can_ acknowledge them. Kanda supposedly thinks he's the best in the world."

"I vent on you," Tyki pointed out.

"So does he."

"I have a fiancée," he said.

"Who was arranged by your family. And _he_ has a girlfriend of his own consent," said Rei aggravatingly. "What are you trying to do, Tyki?"

"I'm just trying to show you that he has a point," he said reasonably. "I'm not healthy for you."

"That wasn't his point," she lied through gritted teeth. "His point was that I was a two-timer for moving so fast."

"You weren't moving that fast," sighed Tyki, leaning his head against the glass. "You were living with me, for heaven's sake. What could he expect? Besides, I have irresistible charm," he added with a seductive smirk. "And you had originally thought that I was the best model anyway."

"No, I thought Bookman was."

"But you were most attracted to me."

"I'm not going to say anything for fear of inflating your ego any further," she replied, making a movement to get off of him.

He caught her wrist and pulled her back, interlocking her body in his arms and pulling her face lower so that it was hovering over his.

"Why do I get the feeling that you're fine with dating me because you like the…thrill of being with someone less-than-safe for you?" he breathed. "Is this some adrenaline rush that you get?"

"That's an idiotic assumption," she said softly. She could feel his breath against her mouth. "Why don't you stop digging for the reason why I wanted to date you?"

"Because this isn't _normal_," he answered. "Back in the mountains, you didn't give me a decent answer on why you loved me either. All you said was that you wanted to show me…the parts of me that made me worth loving. That's a bit too selfless on your behalf, no?"

She remained silent, her insides giving a guilty squirm. She did have a tiny ulterior motive for dating Tyki, at least as opposed to Kanda. Being with Tyki made her feel _needed_, and even though Tyki could be moody and even crass, she liked the feeling of having him pull her to him, to feel the connection between them, the aura that Tyki sometimes exhibited of needing her.

When Tyki had said before that she wanted to make her his drug, there had been a miniscule amount of truth to that. Her experiences with Kanda had always given her the feeling of being second place—in other words, almost disposable. And it hadn't been a good feeling…

"Why don't you keep the image of me being perfect for now," she said, kissing him gently in order to make him drop the conversation. "I like being perfect."

"Dear, you're nowhere close to perfect. You're a right bitch when you want to be—"

"Fine," she said, leaning away, "I'll just go back to ignoring you for the rest of the day—"

Tyki let out a low chuckle and pulled her back to him, his lips locking with hers as his hand crawled in her hair, twisting the strands around his fingers. She felt his tongue brush her lips, then slip inside her mouth with ease, sending chills down her spine. She reflexively made a movement to break it off, but his hand kept her head in place as he explored her mouth intensively. Rei could hear Tyki's silent laughter as she let out a short moan in reaction to his hand traveling up her bare thigh—she had made the deadly mistake of wearing short jeans—then slipping between—

There was a short cough behind them, and Rei snapped out of her intimate reverie, breathing harshly. Tyki ignored her movements to jerk away and simply continued to move his lips down her neck, his one arm firmly supporting her back and keeping her close to him.

"Oi," said Kate's voice dryly. "We exist."

"Who cares?" said Tyki breathily, flipping Rei around so that she was lying down against his arm, looking up at his face. "Don't mind us, just continue walking…"

"Stop it," said Rei bitingly, pushing him away.

He bit down on her neck—hard. She gave a short yelp and jerked away, landing on the ground with a hard thump.

Tyki gave an exasperated sigh, apparently annoyed that his fun had been spoiled, and turned to the group. Kate was in the front, looking at the two of them with utmost disgust, while Lavi was looking amused. Rei could see Allen's white hair amidst the crowd and didn't even want to think about Kanda's expression. Lenalee was probably hovering in the back, along with Kanda's moronic bodyguard.

Her face terribly flushed, she scrambled to her feet, breathing harshly.

"Not my favorite thing to see after breakfast," said Kate.

"Please, you and Bookman make out in public like there's no tomorrow," said Tyki with a roll of his eyes.

"Yeah, but at least we're _compatible_."

"And so are we," said Tyki, standing up and stretching. "Just shut up once in a while, Kate."

"Be a little more considerate of Rei, at least," laughed Lavi, watching Rei's expression as she grew more and more crimson. "She's not fond of P.D.A., I surmise."

"The hall was perfectly private until you all came in," said Tyki. "Rei—"

"I'm going to, uh, go for some air," said Rei breathlessly, stalking away quickly without another word. She didn't bother waiting for a response, instead slipping into a deserted staircase and quickly running up the stairs aimlessly. Her heart was pounding at an unnecessarily swift pace and she could literally feel her cheeks burn.

She hadn't felt more embarrassed in her life.

* * *

Upon seeing Rei leave, Tyki heaved another sigh, his umpteenth one of the morning.

"You guys couldn't have just come a bit later?" he said, eying Kate fearlessly. "Spoiled a damn good moment…"

"Looks like you need Rei to be your little pick-me-up after a bad start to the morning," snarled Kate. "You're disgusting."

Tyki rolled his eyes. "The world knows you're biased against me, Kate. See, Bookman doesn't care because he knows I have to deal with seeing you two make out in every little nook and cranny of this hotel."

"We do not make out in public that often!" said Kate hotly.

"Please," said Tyki, enunciating the word so that it stretched over two syllables in an extremely feminine fashion. "We all know that's a lie, and that you have no problem undressing Bookman in a room that's crowded to carrying capacity as long as you're in the mood for it."

"Oi, that's enough now," said Lavi. "Sorry for walkin' in on you two, but it was hard not to. You were in the middle of the hallway. At least choose some place a bit more secluded."

"Hypocrite—you guys were going at it in the middle of the game room."

"Well that's only because Kate doesn't have a problem with it," said Lavi, putting an arm around Kate's shoulder. "Your little missy, on the other hand, seems to have a slight issue with being caught in a less-than-decent pose. Might want to take that into consideration, Mikk."

"Just don't make out in the first place," said Allen as if it were as obvious as one plus one. "That would save you a lot of time, effort, energy, and embarrassment."

"And would make me lose out on a hell lot of fun," retorted Tyki.

"Physical intimacy is not that important!" said Allen indignantly.

"Oh, the naivety…whatever," he said, walking past them. "I'm going to go find her and apologize on your guys' behalf." He passed by the group, slowing his pace down as he got to Kanda, who was lurking in the back with an inscrutable expression. "Oh, and Kanda."

Kanda met his eyes unwaveringly.

"I don't appreciate you calling my girlfriend a whore," said Tyki easily. "How and when she fell for me is none of your business, so it'd be great if you stayed out of our affairs. You can just kindly remain on the sidelines and leave Rei to me. After all, you don't seem to need her anyway." Tyki clapped him on the shoulder. "And the next time you manage to make her cry, rest assured that I'll come find you and kill you on my own accord."

Tyki left the hallway, feeling rather satisfied with the mutinous expression on Kanda's face.

* * *

"We're never kissing again," said Rei, her voice muffled as she spoke into her hands.

"Don't say that. That's so depressing," said Tyki, sitting down beside her on the stairs. "Sorry for the P.D.A.; I didn't think they were going to be done with breakfast that soon."

"That was so embarrassing."

"It's only embarrassing because you think so," he answered, running a hand through his hair. "See, Kate and Bookman are perfectly fine with making out in public."

"That's because Kate is beautiful and confident in herself," said Rei evenly, "and she also is a Westerner, which means that kissing is basically a greeting. On the other hand, in Japan, kissing is just _banned_—"

"It is not."

"You get what I mean," she said coolly, resting her head on the wall. "So no P.D.A."

"But we're hardly ever in our room," complained Tyki. "And I'd rather kiss you in front of everyone so I can rub it in Kanda's face."

"That is besides the point, Tyki."

"I don't want him bothering you again," he said in a steely tone. "He's ruining your life."

"You just said he was healthier for me than you are."

"Right, well that was only if you were dating him, but since you aren't, he's a contaminant." Tyki brought a hand to her face and kissed her gently. "I'll have you know that I don't like sharing."

"I know."

"Good." He kissed her again. "So don't go wavering back to Kanda just because he can make you feel guilty."

"…I won't."

"Good. Then I'll refrain from kissing you in public."

He didn't give her a chance to reply, instead rolling onto her and pressing her body on the staircase, kissing her deeply with every intention of continuing where they'd left off. After all, a staircase was pretty private, wasn't it?

* * *

_The next day._

"Cut!" said Cross loudly, his voice resonating over the group.

Rei hardly looked up to see what Kanda and Lenalee had done wrong this time. The Asian couple's shoot had been taking a very long time—almost two hours. They were shooting the magnetic attraction part of the shoot, this time on the beach, and for some reason, Cross was infinitely dismayed.

Rei was sitting on the edge of a rock with Allen, her jade eyes watching the sea as each wave came sliding up the shore. Allen looked at her apprehensively.

"Look," he said, "about Mikk—"

"Please don't say you hate him and you want me to break up with him," said Rei wearily. "I got a huge rant last night from Kate when I went to her room to borrow some makeup remover."

"No…I wanted to say sorry for my attitude about it," said Allen honestly. "I know I haven't been very supportive and I feel like that's not something I should've done."

Rei shrugged indifferently.

"Tyki isn't the most likable person in the world, and while your hatred for him seems a bit peculiar, maybe it's natural and inevitable. It's okay if you dislike him," she said, burying her bare feet in the sand. "Just don't…keep telling me you are so against it. It makes me sad, for lack of a better word."

"Sorry," said Allen again sincerely.

"I mean, it's not your fault or anything, nor was I really mad," said Rei. "Don't worry about it."

Allen looked a bit relieved at this statement, for his body relaxed considerably and he stretched his limbs out on the rock.

"Man, Shishou's giving them a tough time," he said with a bit of pity as his gray eyes watched Cross yell at Kanda and Lenalee again.

"They seem to be messing up or something," said Rei. "And quite a lot at that. I even haven't had this troublesome of a shoot…"

Allen glanced around, then lowered his voice significantly and said,

"I hear they're having problems."

Rei shot him a quizzical look.

"Who?" she said, even though she was pretty sure of the answer.

Allen nodded over at the couple.

"Kanda and Lenalee. She was crying a lot over the last two days…and she told me that he seems distant with her."

"Isn't he always?" said Rei acidly.

"Well, yeah, but he opens up to her to some degree," he said. "He's been irascible and she doesn't know what to do about it."

Rei stared at Allen intently.

"You seem to know quite a lot about her affairs," she said nonchalantly.

Allen blushed. "Well, I mean, we've been talking some…and we're pretty good friends."

"Mm-hm."

"What?" said Allen, blushing even more now at Rei's skeptical expression. "I mean, it's normal! It's just a friends thing!"

"Sure…"

"It's true! I wouldn't go and…and try to steal her or something, that's just…petty," he finished lamely, growing more apprehensive at Rei's darkened look.

She knew the indirect jibe when she heard it.

"I wasn't trying to steal Kanda," she said.

"I know," said Allen quickly. "I didn't mean for it to come out that way."

"It's all right," said Rei, standing up and stretching her limbs. "I think it's about time for me to start shooting—it looks like Cross has dismissed them…but I don't know why he kept them for so long when he dismissed me and Tyki in five minutes flat."

"He's probably less likely to want to hurt Lenalee's feelings," said Allen thoughtfully, standing up with her. "She has that effect, you know. She's really cute and innocent…" His voice trailed off as his cheeks darkened yet again. Rei laughed at his embarrassment and clapped him on the back.

"Good luck there, Allen," she grinned. "You never know, maybe Kanda will break up with her. You would treat Lenalee better than he does anyway. Obligation, my ass," she added in an undertone.

Thankfully, Allen didn't hear her additional statement.

They neared Cross, who nodded to Rei and gestured for her to join Tyki, who was already standing near the water.

"I've already told him the directions," said the photographer. "Just follow him into the water. Magnetic attraction, Rei—you gotta feel the chemistry."

"Right," said Rei, walking to Tyki.

She bumped into an indifferent Kanda on her way there. He made some noise, a strangled sound between a demand and an apology, then cut off without saying anything else. His blue eyes just meant hers, causing her to shiver slightly. The knowledge that he was not connecting with Lenalee during his shoots meant that something had happened in their relationship, and Rei was not stupid—she knew exactly what it was about.

She could not help but feel guilty about it.

Nor could she help but feel a vindictive sort of satisfaction in hoping that she could perform better than he did. His words from two nights before had cut deeply after all, and she was not so quick to forgive Kanda for his lack of insight and tact.

"Sorry," said Rei hastily, stalking over to Tyki and taking Tyki's proffered hand as he led her into the water. Tyki hadn't noticed this quick interaction. Or perhaps he had, but just chose to ignore it.

"Cold?" said Tyki as they slowly trudged to a higher level of water.

"It's pretty good," said Rei. "As long as I don't have to get really wet—"

Tyki grabbed her by the waist and dunked her into the water abruptly. The cold liquid encased her body, drenching her to the bone. It lasted but for an instantaneous moment; he brought her back to the surface swiftly.

She sputtered, gasping for breath, when his lips met hers roughly, his hands supporting her weight as she practically sat on his arms. Rei broke the kiss off, completely winded as she sought for air, opening her eyes blearily and meeting Tyki's sun-colored eyes that gleamed with intensity. A shudder ran through her body, chilling her, and her mind blanked as her arms sought to touch his neck, his chest, his lips. She kissed him on her own will, forgetting where they were and who was watching, forgetting all the embarrassment she had felt the day before.

Now, it was just her, Tyki, the sea, the setting sun, the coldness surrounding them and the desperate desire for warmth. She breathed in raggedly and broke off the kiss, simply cupping his face in her hands and staring at his eyes, those gleaming ingots of shimmering gold and blue reflecting the ocean of water. The chilly atmosphere and secluded environment—two people in the middle of a sea of vastness—as well as their discordant harsh breathing pulled them together the way polar opposites were so easily and inevitably drawn together, and their gazes locked in a different way from before. Their staring match remained for what seemed like an eternity—Rei could feel the warmth spread throughout her body as she delved deeper into Tyki's soul, seeing past the gold and into the darkness, and at the same time, she could feel him examine her raw entity as well, analyzing her…

But she knew she was finding out more about him than he was about her—Tyki already knew her soul, for it was shallow and unhindered by serious aspects of depression; her armor was clear, transparent, and weak, while his was thick, opaque, and dark. And in his eyes, Rei could see a fear, a destructive nature, a wildness, and an intensity that bordered a conglomeration of emotions in turmoil, and a desire. A desire for acceptance, understanding, and at the same time…a sadistic desire to hurt, to injure.

She shuddered involuntarily, but could not bring herself to look away. Instead, it was Tyki who tore his gaze away from hers and kissed her neck.

He spoke, breaking her out of her solitary stupor.

"Cold?" he said breathlessly, supporting her with one arm and bringing a hand up to her drenched cheek.

"Yeah. Cross tell you to dunk me?" she asked.

"Yeah," he answered, closing his eyes to her touch as she smoothed out his skin, clearing his face of his curly hair. "Sorry for the lack of notice."

"He tell you to kiss me too?"

"No," said Tyki with a sly smile. "That was my choice. I thought it'd make our atmosphere…deeper."

"Hah…" She leaned her forehead on his, laying her arms across his broad shoulders. She knew that the strange connection between them had been lost the moment the conversation had started. She didn't know if she was relieved or disappointed.

"Why are you wearing a black bra under a white oxford?" he asked. "Common sense says that you don't."

"Oops. Why are you staring?"

"Because it's hardly inconspicuous. And you're staring at my chest as well."

"Why are you even wearing a shirt?" she breathed, sliding her hands down his neck. "Don't you think you'd be more alluring without it?"

"Just as you would…"

"Hey!" shouted Cross's voice from afar. The two models looked in his direction. "You guys can come back!"

"Huh?" said Rei, bewildered. "We've only been in the water for a short amount of time…"

"Ten minutes, tops," agreed Tyki. "Perhaps we did a good enough job…I remember for the final shots of my Mediterranean pictures, Cross took them all in fifteen minutes…made no sense on why I'd stayed there for an entire year…"

They walked slowly back to the beach, feeling rather lethargic due to the water weighing them down. Rei began to shiver from the cooler air, now that the sun was setting.

"Toss over a few towels, would you?" called Tyki to Lavi.

Lavi threw them each a white, fluffy towel and headed over to join the group with Kate. Rei glanced uneasily over at Cross, not sure what to think of their pictures.

"Okay, the day's over," he said with a shrug.

"…That's it?" said Rei, stunned. "Did we do something wrong?"

"Wrong?" said Cross, bemused. "That was the best set of the day. I didn't even have to retake anything—Rei, that was _chemistry_ right there!"

"So…we're done?" said Rei, still disbelieving.

"For today, yes."

"Good job," said Lavi, grinning as he clapped Rei on the shoulder. "That was seriously a good moment between you two—great connection."

Kate looked rather unhappy about this, but she also spoke. "So maybe you two are compatible…slightly. Just for today."

Tyki tousled Rei's damp hair, shaking her out of her confusion.

"We did well, that's all you need to know," he said, amused. "Stop freaking out and thinking otherwise."

"That was the shortest shoot I've ever had," said Rei as Tyki pushed her to get moving.

"Sometimes the shorter shoots are the best," said Allen wisely.

Rei shook her head and slid her sand-dusted feet back in her sandals, leading the group back up to the hotel. She was suddenly aware that Kanda was looking at her in the corner of his eyes; his hand made a movement for her to stay behind and linger.

Anxious yet curious, she walked a bit slower so that she was finally the one straggling at the end; Kate was arguing with Tyki yet again, Lavi was trying to pacify her, while Lenalee was chatting with Allen. Cross was simply looking very pleased with himself.

"What is it?" she said quietly when Kanda slowed down and was standing beside her.

"Lenalee and I broke up," he said monotonously.

"…And?"

"Nothing," he answered, blue eyes closing briefly. "Just letting you know."

"…Are you all right?" she asked.

"I'll get over it. It's not like I hated her or anything, so it's a bit…"

"Upsetting," finished Rei. "I know."

There was an awkward silence.

"…I'm not asking to start over and be friends," said Kanda coldly. "I'm just asking you to at least not…not be so affectionate with Mikk right in front of me."

Rei bit her lower lip, feeling guilty again.

"Yeah," she replied. "I will."

He nodded in appreciation, and the two of them fell into silence once again. And while the atmosphere was uncomfortable, it was not suffocating, and this could not help but make Rei feel a bit relieved.

A good photo shoot and a shaky resolution to a big problem.

It had been a good day.

* * *

Tyki sat in the lobby of the hotel, having taken a shower and changed into an uncustomary simple black T-shirt and jeans. His hair was tied back in a ponytail, and, like always, he was smoking.

Rei was still up in the room, finishing up her shower—she had been too interested in some drama that was on T.V. to take a shower first—and just _had_ to finish the episode, allowing Tyki to take his time. That drama seemed to be some famous American show—like _Gossip Girl_ or something.

Someone tapped him on the shoulder. Tyki turned around, looking down on an Asian girl who looked vaguely familiar…

"Tyki Mikk?" she said excitedly, her English heavily accented.

"Yes?" he said politely.

There was no verbal response—she threw herself on him and kissed him fully, causing him to stagger backwards in shock.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," he said, pushing her off and holding her at arm's length away. "Who are you?"

"Your fiancée," she beamed, leaning forward to kiss him again.

"Wait. What?!" he said, startled. "Are you serious?!"

"Yes, hubby!" she said, grinning from ear to ear as she struggled to hug him .

"That's impossible—I've got no idea—"

"Get your filthy hands off of him, bitch," said Rei's deadly voice behind him.

Rei approached the two of them, her hair still wet from her shower, her green eyes complementing an emerald-colored shirt and long jeans. She looked furious.

"I have no idea who she is," said Tyki, trying to explain the awful situation. "I swear I don't, Rei, I—"

"That's all right, Tyki," said Rei coolly. "I know exactly who she is."

The "fiancée" simply smirked as her eyes landed on Rei.

"Well, well, well," she said, "if it isn't the commoner."

The condescending tone that the "fiancée" spoke with grew even more familiar. Tyki continued to stare at her, unsure of her identity.

"Just what do you think you're doing here?" said Rei icily.

"What I was sent here to do, idiot."

"And that would be?"

"I'm Tyki Mikk's fiancée," she said primly.

"You're joking."

"Am not." The girl made a curt and haughty bow. "Satsuma Aiko, pleased to make your acquaintance once again, _hubby_."

There was a dead silence after her sardonic words.

Oh, shit.

* * *

**Free Talk**

Sorry, it's been a while since my last update. I've been a bit busy. And sorry for my original chapter--I hadn't edited it through yet. :O

I'd originally planned for Tyki's fiancee just to be another OC, someone pretty bitchy (because I can't stand having a nice rival-in-love, haha). But then I had an epiphany and was like "Aiko! She fell off the face of the earth! She'd be a perfect rival!"

And prepare for Aiko to get her ass kicked.

Somewhat. Of course, Aiko's going to be a big problem for Rei to overcome, especially because Aiko's approved by Cyril and the rest.

I hope you liked this chapter, and that it was somewhat satisfactory after the long wait. I know Tyki was a bit OOC in the beginning with his moodiness and all, but oh well. :P

Please review! That always makes me happy. :)

xoxo,

m.n


	28. Little White Lies

**Chapter 28: Little White Lies **

**

* * *

**_"When it started we had high hopes,  
Now my back's on the line, my back's on the ropes."_

_--**Coldplay. **"Yes"_

_

* * *

  
_

Of all people.

Satsuma Aiko.

Of all the billions of females in the world.

Satsuma Aiko.

Rei just stared in utter disbelief. Satsuma. She who had made Rei's short-lived high school life hell. She who was probably the devil's spawn herself.

Satsuma Aiko was Rei's boyfriend's fiancée.

Tyki looked like he'd turned into stone. His face was blank, his eyes dull, as he simply stared at Aiko with uncertainty. Rei knew Tyki's disposition—unlike Lavi, who didn't particularly care about who he had one night stands with as long as she was pretty, Tyki actually analyzed a girl's personality before bothering to flirt with her. Looks didn't do much for Tyki, seeing as he himself was beautiful…but lack of substance in personality was a turn-off for him, and Rei could see the apprehension crawl into his features.

"Well?" said Aiko haughtily in her terrible English. "Why are you so surprised? It's only _natural_ for _me_, heiress of the Satsuma Company, to be _the_ Tyki Mikk's fiancée, no? I, after all, have the natural bearing of royalty! So, commoner, be so kind as to let go of my fiancé's arm."

"Listen here, _Satsuma_," said Rei with poisonous sweetness, her language slipping into Japanese to alleviate her ears from listening to Aiko's awful speech, "Tyki and I happen to be dating, so if you think you're going to get to my boyfriend that easily, you have another thing coming."

"Dating?!" said Aiko, horrified, answering in their native language too. "Dating _you_?! Who'd want to date you?! You, who has no sense of fashion or common sense—how could _you_ stand on par with _my_ gorgeous fiancé?!"

"Tyki," said Rei in English, turning to him and trailing a finger up his cheekbone. The action seemed to jolt him out of his trance, and he looked at her questioningly. "Why don't you let Satsuma and I have some alone time so we can work things out a bit," she said, her lips hovering over his. "You don't mind? You can just wait in our room…"

"Sorry," he said breathily, bending down and meeting her lips swiftly. "I'll stay. This happens to concern me."

"Ah, but I'll be speaking in Japanese because she seems to have some difficulty understanding high-flown English, you know? Do you mind?"

Tyki smirked at her out-of-character friendliness, knowing that it was just a façade to show Aiko how well they got along. He kissed her lingeringly again.

"Of course not."

"Thanks." Rei turned to Aiko again, pleased as Tyki wrapped his hands around her waist. "So, Satsuma…"

"There's no way in hell that my fiancé would willingly go out with you," said Aiko murderously. "You must have drugged him."

"That's petty," said Rei smoothly. "Tyki and I are…very much in love." Rei cringed inwardly at her cheesy words, thankful that Tyki could not understand them. While he'd picked up some Japanese, it wasn't enough for him to follow their conversation.

"Ha," said Aiko with a sneer. "I doubt that. Tyki-san will fall for me instantly—after all, who can resist me? I'm beautiful," she added, flaunting her long black hair by tossing it over her shoulder. "And besides, you can't compare, Matsumomo. Your small chest can't possibly compare to my D-cups."

"Here we go," muttered Rei, rolling her eyes. "Again you have emphasized your stupidity—you think the only thing that's good about you are your boobs, which you seem to believe is the only thing guys look for. But no, Satsuma, men happen to look for intelligence—which you seem to be lacking awfully, considering the many times you were…number two hundred out of two hundred one? And wasn't number two-hundred one just an imaginary student the school put in their rosters to make you feel better? Yeah, that might've not occurred to you."

"I don't _need_ intelligence," said Aiko hotly. "Once I marry Tyki-san, I'll be royalty, and everyone will pamper me like none other—the world will be at my feet!"

"It's Portugal!" said Rei exasperatedly. "Since when did the world revolve around it?!"

"That's not the point!" said Aiko, her face beginning to get flushed. She took a deep breath, then smiled again. "You know, Matsumomo, that I happen to know everything about you."

Rei's stomach gave an unpleasant lurch.

"What do you mean?" she said warily.

"Well, how about…you were Kanda-san's bodyguard?" said Aiko sweetly. "And that your father's been missing, and that the only reason you could even _possibly_ make it to this international stage is because of Tyki's power?" Aiko let out a dramatic sigh. "You know, the paparazzi managed to get to me when I landed here in Spain. I happened to let it…_slip_…your history, I mean. You might want to watch the news," added Aiko brightly. "Let you know what's going on, and how the rest of the world sees you as a lying, cheating slut—"

"You _bitch_—"

Rei moved out of Tyki's arms and lashed out at Aiko, the palm of her hand connecting with Aiko's blemish-less cheek instantaneously. The slap resonated through the empty lobby, causing several eyes to stare.

"Don't think you can get to me, Satsuma," said Rei with a steely glint in her jade eyes. "So what if the paparazzi know? It's troublesome, but it's not like I was trying to hide it deliberately. But what goes on in my life is none of your business—don't think you can just stick your nose into my affairs and get away with it."

Tyki caught Rei's hand and brought it down slowly to her side, making sure that she wouldn't strike out again.

"I think that's enough for tonight, mm?" he said, nuzzling her neck. "Let's return to our room."

Aiko let out a high-pitched laugh. "You think you can just hit me and not be punished? You've _hit _me! You've taken away my fiancé! He's not your man, Matsumomo. His brother has dictated that _I_ be his fiancée, not you. You think your petty emotions could override royal orders?"

"You are _really_ annoying," said Tyki bluntly. He seemed to have been able to understand that last sentence.

Aiko's face flushed at Tyki's words, but she managed to smile tremulously.

"I love you, Tyki-san," she said. "I'm your fiancée—and I won't let anyone get in my way of it."

"What you love are his title, his looks, and his money," said Rei coldly. "Try me, Satsuma. The more you cling to him, the worse it'll get. And don't think that I won't bitch-slap you to the next era—I don't care about letting my image slip up a bit."

Without another word, Rei took Tyki's hand and pulled him out of the lobby, uneasily noticing that Aiko had a vindictive smirk plastered to her disgusting face.

* * *

They were in the confinements of their room. Tyki shut the door behind him as Rei strode quickly to the television, flipping it on with an angry expression on her face. It took her a while to navigate to the gossip channel, and when she got there, she sat down right in front of the T.V., her green eyes scanning the screen.

"Do you think she was just threatening me?" she said sharply.

"I don't know what you're talking about," sighed Tyki. "I couldn't follow your conversation that easily…"

"She said she let it 'slip' that I used to be Kanda's bodyguard," she said. He could hear the worry begin to seep in her voice. "Shit…what am I going to do?"

"…Seriously?" said Tyki, sitting down beside her. "That would _not_ be good…Cyril must've been involved in this too…maybe she was just lying…maybe…"

His voice trailed off when the T.V. flashed the words "Breaking News!" A woman excitedly sat at a table, microphone in hand; beside her was a picture of Tyki and Rei.

"SHIT!" said Rei aggravatingly, slumping down on the ground.

"Breaking news!" said the newscaster eagerly. "It has been announced that Tyki Mikk, Portugal's superstar and notorious playboy who was destined to be the _bachelor extraordinaire _forever—"

"Ow, that's harsh," said Tyki with a wince.

"—now has a fiancée! Though it was an arranged marriage, the fiancée seems to be greatly interested in Tyki!"

The scene now flashed to Aiko climbing out of a plane, her attractive face marred by an enormous sneer.

"Aiko Satsuma is the sole heiress of large Japanese corporation Satsuma Company, a company that produces mostly clothing products. Satsuma has been named Most Beautiful Teenager in Japan for two years running, and has often been commended for her affiliation with large brand-name companies. It seems that the marriage was arranged mutually between Cyril Camelot and Daisuke Satsuma and will be a great benefit to both parties: the Satsuma Company has a good bit of political influence in Japan and is also very wealthy, while the royal family in Portugal is…well, royalty. Today, as Miss Satsuma was leaving the plane in Spain, she stopped for a moment to speak with some of us."

They were now watching Aiko speaking in front of a camera, her lips parted in a vindictive smirk.

"So tell us, Miss Satsuma," said one male reporter, "what do you think of the partnership that is going on between Tyki and Rei? They've made it clear that there's no real romance involved, but are you worried about it?"

"Not particularly," said Aiko in her accented English. "After all, I used to go to school with Matsumomo, and she's not a very…sophisticated character. I don't think Tyki would like that kind of girl. She's not attractive—no fashion sense whatsoever—and she's mean. I heard she pushed a girl down the stairs because she didn't like her, and then she exploded a can of soda amidst a crowd because she wanted Kanda Yuu all to herself."

"She what?!" said the reporter, aghast.

"It's true," said Aiko dramatically. "I witnessed it all…"

"So she likes Yuu Kanda then?" inquired the reporter.

"I don't know," admitted Aiko. "I also heard that she was working for him as a bodyguard. She's somewhat…unworthy of being by Tyki's side."

The scene shifted back to the main news lady, who was pursing her lips into a fine line as she surveyed the camera.

"Well, what scandalous accusations!" she said, almost horrified. "To think that Rei Matsumomo, who is cooperating with _the_ Tyki Mikk, could be this kind of person! Will Rei respond? Or is she truly what Miss Satsuma says she is? We'll have to see!"

Tyki flipped off the T.V., feeling disgusted. This was problematic…and he hated the paparazzi now more than ever. He chanced a glance over at Rei, whose expression was unreadable. He didn't know how she was going to react—she wasn't used to the fame, nor was she used to the difficulties that came with it, the assumptions on her unknown character, the public reactions…

"…Rei?" he said anxiously.

There was no answer. Tyki tried again, preparing himself for the worst: for her to start bawling, or for her to explode. Either seemed highly likely.

"…Rei?" he said again.

Rei got up without another word and headed for the closet, pulling out a suitcase. Tyki stood up and approached her from behind, not knowing what to expect as she fumbled through the zippers.

"…What are you looking for?" he asked warily.

"I'm going to _murder_ that bitch," she said in a voice much unlike her own.

"…I, I don't know if that's a good idea…what exactly are you looking for?"

"Your gun."

Tyki reached down and pulled her hastily away from the closet, dragging her to the bed and plopping her down on it. She struggled to get back up, her expression livid, but Tyki pushed her down on the bed and held her in place.

"Now, Rei," he said calmly, keeping her pressed down with some effort. Anger seemed to fuel her strength, and Rei's face was contorted in such rage that Tyki was vaguely aware of her murderous capabilities.

"_I_ pushed someone down the stairs?!" she said furiously. "I sure as hell didn't—_she_ pushed that girl down the staircase and blamed it on me, and it was only because Lee-sensei knew me as a scholarship student that I didn't get in trouble—"

"Rei."

"—and yeah, I exploded a can of soda into her face but that was only because Kanda was sick of her clinging to him like a slutty octopus and he told me to get rid of her! How _DARE_ she accuse me—"

"Rei!" said Tyki firmly. "That's not the point right now—you have to deal with the public, and you have to decide what to say. If the entire world sees you as some flighty jerk of a woman, our photos are going to be ill-received. That's the most important thing right now. And you know as well as I do that you can't very well cause her physical injury—right now, she's holding more cards than you are."

Rei inhaled deeply, held the breath for a few seconds, then let it out. Her expression cleared a bit, but her emerald eyes still flashed in fury.

"_You_ don't believe her, do you?" she said accusingly.

"As if I would believe that kind of girl over my own girlfriend," he said consolingly, letting his forehead rest on hers. "It's all right. Calm down. It'll be fine. I'll be with you to talk to the public."

Rei exhaled again, her green eyes fluttering shut. Seeing that she was no longer struggling his weight, Tyki removed his hands from her wrists and brought them to her face, caressing her cheek lightly. Rei reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, sighing against his skin as she hugged him tightly.

"Of all the women in the world," she said softly, and there was still a grimace in her voice, "it had to be _her_. I can't believe it…she's so…ugh," she said, shaking her head in revulsion as she tightened her grip around his neck. "I can't lose you to her. Not _her_. She's so…goodness, I can't even describe how much I hate her. She's like a Venus flytrap; she's all pretty and sweet on the outside, but once she gets you, she'll just go 'chomp, chomp' and eat you up."

"Rei, you're choking me with your grip," said Tyki dryly, amused with her nonsensical talking. After she relaxed her hold a bit, he spoke again. "You're not going to lose me to her. Believe me."

"Prove it," said Rei, moving her lips from his ear to his cheek, then kissing her way to his lips. "Mm…"

"If you want me to prove it _that_ way, then by all means," he murmured, kissing her deeply.

He slid his hands up her shirt, taking her thin waist into his hold as he kept her body under his. Rei reached up and garlanded his neck with her two interlaced hands as she kissed him back gently. She seemed to still be fueled by her great animosity toward Aiko, as well as the image of losing him to her archenemy, for Rei was being much bolder than before. Every kiss was hot and heavy; Tyki opened his mouth against hers, intending to begin French kissing her, but she took the initiative and slipped her tongue into his mouth. He chuckled slightly, pulling away a bit, allowing her to muster up enough energy to flip them over. Surprised, he pushed up a bit against her, disliking the feeling of being on the bottom, but Rei ignored him and continued to trail her lips down his neck. Her hands slipped to the bottom of his shirt and slipped under the cotton cloth; the tips of her fingers ghosted his toned stomach, making him shudder.

"Bolder today, aren't you?" he said breathily as she tugged his shirt up.

"Isn't that a good thing?" she replied, kissing his stomach and moving gradually upwards.

"True, but I don't like being on the bottom," he breathed, nuzzling her neck. "Let me lead."

"No," Rei said stubbornly as Tyki flipped her over, pinning her arms over her head. "I—"

He silenced her with another kiss and began to push up her shirt, letting his hands roam her entire torso. She shivered at his touch, evidently uncomfortable with the extent of their contact, and struggled to escape his grasp.

"You were the one who came onto me," he said teasingly, taking the skin over her collarbones into his teeth and sucking on it. "Don't be struggling now…"

"Stop," she gasped as he bit down. "That'll leave a mark…"

"My intention exactly…"

There was a loud knock on the door, drawing their activities to a close. Tyki collapsed down beside Rei, and neither of them made a movement to answer it.

"You go," she said wryly.

"You do," he answered, tracing a finger on her cheekbone. "You're closer."

"You're the guy."

"You're the girl."

"That's the point."

"Just go."

"I don't wanna get up."

Tyki heaved a sigh, sitting up and climbing over her to get the door. She followed suit, much to his amusement.

"If you were going to get up anyway, then you could've just gotten it."

"I felt bad," she said simply, standing behind him as he opened it.

It was Aiko.

"How indecent," snorted Aiko as she glared at the two of them. "Sharing the same room?!"

"What do you need, Satsuma?" said Rei frigidly.

"I'm here to warn you," she said loftily, holding up a sheet of paper. "Due to your terrible, violent actions in the lobby, I now have had a restraining order put on you."

"…Because I slapped you?" said Rei incredulously.

"Indeed! The horror," said Aiko. "Well, the Spanish police as well as my personal bodyguard forces have agreed that you are a threat to me, and you aren't allowed to come within fifty meters of me at any time."

"…What?"

"You heard me, _commoner_," said Aiko with a smirk. "You can't be within fifty meters of _me_. And just letting you know, I happen to be living in the room right next to this one…which is in a fifty meter radius. In other words, you can't stay here."

"She has to," said Tyki with uncustomary coldness. "We have reasons and she has to stay by me—"

"We'll just switch a room," said Rei frostily.

"Ah, well, my bodyguards happen to consist of many people, and all other rooms are unavailable," said Aiko sweetly. "Which means you'll have to move hotels!"

"What the hell, Satsuma?!" said Rei furiously.

"Language, Matsumomo," said Aiko, waving her index finger in a "no" motion. "Watch yourself. The entire police force is backing me. And did you watch T.V.? Things aren't looking so good for your image, mm?"

"You _bitch_—"

Rei made an instant movement to slap Aiko again, but Tyki caught her arm quickly and held her back.

"Watch yourself," he said warningly. "If you hit her again, it's going to be problematic."

"Ah, see, hubby understands me," said Aiko venomously, blowing an air-kiss at Tyki. He resisted the desire to throw up. "So Matsumomo, let's see what you can do now, mm? I'm afraid Tyki-san won't be able to help you any. He won't be able to stand your ugly face for very long—I mean, who can resist _me_? I've had so many awards for my beauty—you can't possibly compare. So no, Tyki-san won't help you."

"What makes you think that?" said Tyki dryly. "As long as you're nowhere near—"

"Ah, but do you really think I won't be anywhere near you?" said Aiko with vindictive pleasantness. "No, me and hubby need some nice, bonding time…"

Rei slammed the door shut in her face, but the thick block of wood wasn't enough to block out Aiko's calling voice.

"This isn't an empty threat, Matsumomo!" she said jubilantly. "If you don't leave this room, the police will be here to _escort_ you out!"

Her strident laughter died away from their ears as Aiko left the hallway. A few seconds passed, and they heard the door next to their room shut. So she really was right next to them…

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" said Rei feverishly as she began pacing the room, gripping her head between her hands. "What the bloody hell!? The entire police force?! How does she—"

"It's probably Cyril," said Tyki calmly. "Well, we can't have you switching hotels—who knows, you might be kidnapped along the way…the best bet is for you to room with Kate."

"I hate inconveniencing people…" said Rei, leaning heavily against the wall.

"She won't care," said Tyki, shrugging. "She was fine with it before, and she'll probably be jumping for joy once she hears that I'm not rooming with you anymore."

* * *

"Sorry for inconveniencing you like this," said Rei miserably when Kate handed her a set of bathroom toiletries.

Tyki had just explained to Lavi and Kate about their situation, and Lavi seemed absolutely amiable with it, as always. They'd decided to call room service for an extra bed in both of their rooms, and Lavi would room with Tyki while Rei roomed with Kate.

"No, it's fine," said Kate reassuringly. "I…I needed a break from…right, well, don't worry about it. I'm actually really glad you're here."

Rei looked at Kate with a peculiar expression.

"…Are you and Bookman having problems?" she asked warily.

"Problems? Oh, no, far from it," said Kate shakily. "No, definitely not…"

Rei was disturbed and continued to scrutinize Kate's expression. She realized that the German model's eyes were red.

"What's wrong?" questioned Rei, sitting Kate down on the bed and looking at her. "Did Bookman do something?"

"No," said Kate, tears leaking out of her hazel eyes. "No, it's all my fault. He's too _good_ for me, and…and I'm an awful person…."

"You are not," said Rei chidingly. "You're a really, really nice person."

"No, I'm not!" wailed Kate, burying her face in a pillow. "I'm judgmental and awful!"

"You're not!" said Rei, patting her on the shoulder. "Goodness, Kate—"

"No, I'm really, really bad!" she sobbed. "I judged you the first time I met you, right? A-And I'm really mean to people and I always speak my mind—"

"You're not mean, you're just frank," said Rei soothingly. "That can be a good thing."

"I tried to kill your boyfriend with my shoe!"

"I've thought of doing that sometimes too," confessed Rei. "It's okay."

"I hate your boyfriend!"  
"Well, that's not nice, but you're not dating him, so that's all that matters. Kate, what's going on? This is completely not like you. _I'm_ supposed to be the one crying into a pillow because my boyfriend happens to have a bitch of a fiancée—"

"Speaking of her," said Kate, lifting her face from her pillow and looking up at Rei. Her face was covered in mascara and tears. "Why are you letting her push you around again?"

"Because she put a restraining order on me," said Rei lightly, clenching her hand into a fist as she imagined Aiko's simpering expression. "I managed to slap her because she was all up on Tyki earlier."

"Oh," said Kate, now more composed. "Good going."

"Thank you. Now, care to tell me what's going on?"

Kate shook her head.

"There's really nothing wrong," she said honestly. "I just…sometimes I feel insecure because I'm so much older than Lavi and…and what if he gets tired of me or—"

"Kate!" said Rei indignantly, hitting her on the head lightly. "I highly, highly, _highly_ doubt anyone could get tired of you. Have you _looked_ in the mirror? And you have a great personality—"

"My last boyfriend dumped me because he said I was too violent," she said grimly.

"Well, that's his loss and your gain. I'd personally beat the crap out of Tyki dumped me for that reason, but I guess that would just be reinforcing his point…well, you're not violent, you're just…passionate. Now cheer up, okay? I don't like seeing you depressed."

Rei handed Kate a Kleenex and helped her clean up the mascara smeared over her cheeks.

"You're right," Kate said, blowing her nose. "Being depressed really doesn't suit me—let's do something…keep my mind off of…oh, hey, let's play Wii."

"…Oh…kay," said Rei uncertainly as Kate suddenly bounded up and pulled the electronic system out of cabinet. "Uh…I've never really played…"

"_What_?!" said Kate, scandalized. "Dear goodness, didn't you Japanese people _make_ the Wii? It's the greatest creation in the world—here, let's play baseball—"

"Oh," said Rei, bemused as Kate thrust the white remote in her hand. "Uh—"

"It's motion sensing, so you'll be fine as long as you know how to play baseball," said Kate brightly. "Oh, beware, I _murder_ at this game. Not being arrogant or anything, but it's the truth. I destroyed Lavi…"

At the mention of Lavi's name, Kate's face fell and her voice trailed off. Rei was seized the desperate need to turn the conversation around—something _must've_ happened between them.

"So!" she said with feigned cheerfulness. "How are you good at this again?"

"I used to play softball in middle school, which is pretty similar to baseball," answered Kate, winding her arm like she was going to pitch. "I was the pitcher, and a damn good one at that."

She made the motion of throwing the ball while Rei just fixated her gaze on the T.V. screen, only to see the ball pass a still-standing figure.

"Rei!" said Kate. "You're supposed to swing!"  
"Oh."

"Here let's try that again."

Kate wound her arm and threw forward; Rei saw the ball moving across the screen and swung haphazardly, only to see the ball pass her figure easily.

"…You're not very good at this, are you?" said Kate weakly.

"Sorry. Maybe you're just too good. That must explain how all your shoes connect with men's heads so nicely."

Kate snorted and prepared to switch the games, while Rei's mind trailed back to her big issue: Aiko.

"Kate, have you ever been in big trouble with the paparazzi?"

"Not really," shrugged Kate. "I've had a couple bad outfits, et cetera, but nothing huge. Why? Did the fiancée spill the beans about your background?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, it's not a big deal, working as a bodyguard."

"She said I pushed a girl down the stairs in high school."

"Did you really?" said Kate excitedly.

"That's sort of the wrong way to take it," frowned Rei. "Of course I didn't. _She_ did it and blamed it on me."

"Oh," said Kate with a sigh. "I didn't want to be the only bad girl around."

"What is up with you today?" said Rei anxiously. "You're not a bad person!"

"What if I told you that _I_ was kicked off my middle school softball team because I purposely threw a ball into this girl's face? I ended up breaking her nose."

Rei didn't have anything to say to that except for,

"Well, she must've been a bitch, so you're excused."

"Exactly!" said Kate. "That's what I told my coach, but that excuse didn't fly…"

Rei let out a laugh and patted Kate on the shoulder.

"Good thing that didn't get out into the public…"

"Look, Rei, if the public image of you is bad, then all you have to do is go out there and prove your worth," said Kate seriously. "You're thinking far too hard about the public—the next time we have a press event, just dress up, look stunning, outshine that fiancée of Mikk's and show the world that you're not whatever the hell she said you were. _Someone_'s gotta notice that she's a sly, lying little jerk."

"Kate, I can't look stunning for the life of me—"

"You seriously believe that?" said Kate with a raised eyebrow. "I guarantee you, give me a week, and I can make you absolutely gorgeous. Posture, catwalk, everything. Trust me."

"Right, well, I don't know about that—"

There was a knock on the door. Rei walked over and opened the door. It was Tyki and Lavi.

"Hey," she said. "Something wrong?"

"Marian's pissed," sighed Tyki.

"…At Satsuma?" said Rei hopefully.

"No, at you," said Lavi.

"What did _I _do?!"

"He reckons you shouldn't have slapped her so fast," said Tyki wearily.

"But—"

"He also thinks we shouldn't be dating," said Tyki.

"_What_?! He supported it initially!"

"Well, he doesn't care any more because he got the magnetic attraction pictures he wanted."

"That is so—"

"Let me guess," said Kate, approaching her from behind. "Cross is holding a gathering of some sort, and all the paparazzi are invited."

"Bingo," said Tyki tiredly. "And guess who's the star…"

"Me," said Rei glumly, feeling very down.

"Yeah…"

Kate let out a sigh, running a hand through her hair as she stared into space with a very thoughtful expression on her face. Rei couldn't help but notice that Kate seemed determined not to look at Lavi, who was looking pleasantly bewildered with Kate's avoidance.

"How long until the party?" asked Kate.

"About a week," answered Lavi, who seemed anxious to establish some sort of eye contact with her.

"Okay," said Kate, nodding, still not looking at Lavi. "We can work this out. Rei, you're not allowed to leave this hotel. We're going to work on everything that will make you seem like a fabulous model—being tutored by me has its benefits, of course—and we're going to put a halt to all photo shoots."

"You can't just decide that by yourself," said Tyki incredulously.

"Try me," retorted Kate. Some color was flowing back to her cheeks as she grew more animated. "During that time, you can't meet with Rei, Mikk."

"What?! You can't limit my time with my own girlfriend—"

"You can go bonding with Lavi," she snapped back. "I need for Rei to be perfect at the party—this is _crucial_ to her public image. She needs to learn how to become beautiful—not that she isn't already, but she needs to learn how to _always_ be beautiful and be comfortable being pretty. I can't have you distracting her training."

Tyki threw up his hands.

"Why can't we just tell the paparazzi that Satsuma is a lying little cheat who is only engaged to me because my brother is forcing me—in other words, _the truth_!"

"Do tell me," said Kate mockingly, "how many scandals you've been in, Mikk, and how you wormed out of them. Oh wait, did you always tell the truth to the public? Yeah, I don't think that worked most of the time. Your reputation's none too clean, and the words of a playboy and newbie are going to be fruitless blows against the supposedly innocent fiancée and the Portuguese royal family. Use your brain, nutcase."

"But I want to meet with Tyki!" said Rei, scandalized. "If you don't let me meet him, Satsuma will be all over him."

"That's a good thing," said Kate.

"What?!"

"Just trust me," said Kate soothingly. "Deal, guys? Deal. Okay, goodnight—starting from right now, Mikk, you can't meet with Rei—"

Kate retreated into the room and prepared to shut the door. Tyki caught it, his golden eyes gleaming.

"Don't try to be splitting me and Rei up just because you're having problems with Bookman," said Tyki through gritted teeth. "If you're going to sort them out, Kate, be a _mature adult_ and do it without involving us—"

"Goodbye," said Kate brightly, kicking Tyki in the shin and slamming the door, locking it swiftly afterward. "Now, chop, chop, Rei, we have a lot of work to do—"

"I _refuse_ to do this," said Rei seriously. "Tyki is sort of my only support right now, and while I think you're a wonderful person, this doesn't quite concern you—I _need_ to talk to him—"

"Rei," said Kate in a voice that made Rei shut up. She looked all teary-eyed again.

"Kate," groaned Rei. "Don't do this guilt-trip thing with me, it's not going to work—"

"I'm having problems with Lavi," said Kate, a clear teardrop sliding down her cheek. "This break is important for me, and it's equally important to you. Please."

Rei heaved a sigh.

"I'm going to meet with him in secret," said Rei threateningly.

"As long as I don't catch you, I don't care."

"Fine," said Rei, blowing out a breath. "And this little training session better be worth it, Kate—if I'm going to be away from Tyki for a week while Satsuma's flirting with him, you better ensure that I beat her, somehow."

"Don't worry," said Kate, brushing away her tears and smiling—she obviously was quite the actress. "I'm one-hundred percent sure I can make you _mind-blowing_. And as long as you have the charisma and appearance necessary to stand along supermodels, you'll have the greater advantage over the public—I'll also have to teach you what and how to say, explain and—"

"Kate, are you ever going to tell me what exactly is going on between you and Bookman?"

Kate's smile slipped a little, but she hitched it right back, though it seemed a bit forced.

"I'm fine," she said. "You're the bigger deal—let's get you started."

* * *

A week was impossibly long. Six days had passed without Tyki getting any contact with Rei—he'd tried calling her, but it seemed that Kate had confiscated Rei's phone, and his many inquiries at their door had been ignored.

Tyki hated sharing a room with a guy, and though he got along fine with Bookman, Lavi was being unnaturally moody. It also didn't help that whenever Tyki went out of the room, he was found ten minutes later by Satsuma Aiko, who clung to him like a jellyfish clung to prey. And while Aiko was attractive, Tyki found her downright _annoying_.

Even more annoying was the fact that Rei was not there to repel her, and the constant absence of his girlfriend seemed to renew Aiko's energy in attacking him, which just led to an increased amount of aggravation on Tyki's part.

So Tyki tried to stay in his room most of the time, but at one point or another, Lavi's moodiness became too irritating to bear, and Tyki snapped.

"Look, for the _last_ time, Bookman, if you're having problems with your girlfriend, knock on her fucking door, drag her aside, and make out with her like you always do. And make sure your shagging session lasts over an hour—I need some time with Rei."

"I don't know why we're having problems!" said Lavi with uncustomary anger. "We were doing perfectly fine—she's a great person, great woman, but we were having this pretty deep conversation and—"

Tyki groaned. "Don't tell me—you proposed to her."

Lavi blinked a few times, absorbing Tyki's prediction.

"Well, no, not really, but I think I mentioned at some point that I wouldn't mind spending the rest of my life with her," said Lavi sourly. "But now that I think about it, I might take that statement back."

"Bookman, that was basically saying you wanted to marry her."

"It was not," said Lavi stubbornly. "If I wanted to marry her, I would've said so."

Tyki let out another groan and rolled over on his bed, bored out of his mind. Time for another trip out—hopefully he could last fifteen minutes without Satsuma knowing.

"I'm going," he announced, standing up and putting on a jacket. "Call me if anything happens—I dunno, maybe your girlfriend will stop being an absolute tyrant and will release her little prisoner of war."

"I'll let you know," said Lavi sullenly.

Tyki gave an appreciative nod and left the room. Maybe he'd go for a drink at the bar—it was a little after ten p.m., and he would probably have some time alone. Little girls couldn't go to bars after all.

He walked down the hallway and passed by the vending machine, which a dark-haired girl in extremely short shorts stood in front of. Tyki backtracked and stared at her.

Was that Rei? He couldn't be sure. He knew that Rei could never for the life of her wear shorts _that_ short…nor would she wear five-inch heels in the middle of a hotel. Nor, now that he was studying her, would she wear a hat in the middle of the building—Rei had previously mentioned that she hated hats because they made her hair frizzy—or wear real-diamond studs…

"Rei?" said Tyki uncertainly.

She turned around, her eyes lighting up in surprise as she looked at him. She was looking _really_ attractive, now that he thought about it. Her hair was straightened, and it seemed like her bangs had been trimmed—though she looked a bit too Asian for his liking, she looked good, to say the least.

"Thank God," she said, rushing over to him. Her speed was reckonable, considering her shoes.

"In here," he said, opening the door to the laundry room and dragging her inside.

"I finally snuck out to get a drink—I was hoping to bump into you but I didn't want to knock on your door—you know, fifty meter radius—but I had no idea—"

"You look…fantastic," he breathed, pushing her up against the wall as he studied her face.

Her makeup was impeccable. Damn, Kate was right—she really had made Rei look like a fabulous model…or maybe it was because he hadn't seen her face in six days, and that made him realize how he, sadly enough, had missed her to some degree.

"Six days of hell," said Rei in return, draping her arms around his neck. "Kate has been an absolute…I mean, I love her, but man…whenever she wasn't teaching me or rapping me on the back about my posture, she was just _depressed_ and wouldn't tell me what was going on with her and Bookman—"

"Tell me about it," said Tyki dryly, nuzzling her neck. "Bookman's been downright strange—he's never like this. It's annoying as hell."

Rei kissed Tyki comfortingly on the cheek as his hands wandered up her thighs, eventually pushing her against the wall so that she was sitting her weight on his arms.

"Who said you could wear such short pants?" he questioned, kissing her on the lips.

"Kate," said Rei simply, deepening their kiss.

"I refuse to see you in such scandalous clothing—you can wear it for _me_, but in public…you don't look like you're wearing pants at all."

"That's what I told her," said Rei acidly, "but she insisted that they showed off my legs…"

"And fine legs you have, my dear," he murmured, kissing her deeply and cutting off their conversation.

His hands stroked her legs as he dominated their kiss—he made it a bit more forceful than normal, savoring the sensation of being able to touch her. Tyki trailed his tongue over her lips, outlining their shape, before slipping in her mouth and intensely exploring it, relishing its taste. Rei let out an unexpected moan that sent shivers down his spine—damn, she tasted amazing—he let Rei's weight balance on one arm as he slid his other hand up to the buttons of her cardigan, undoing them one by one.

The door opened abruptly, and only when Kate's voice intruded into their activities did they even break off the kiss.

"OI! What the hell do you think you're doing, Mikk?!"

Tyki leaned away from Rei, who was panting slightly for air. Her face was brilliantly flushed.

"One week!" said Kate. "You couldn't hold on for that long?!"

"No," said Tyki. "Could you?"

"Obviously!"

Lavi appeared at the doorway, looking a bit apprehensive at the position that Rei and Tyki were in. His green eyes, however, were more fixated on Kate's face.

"Look," said Tyki lightly, "if you two have problems, work them out. I need some time with my girl—it's been six days, and that's ridiculous for no contact at all—I haven't even been able to talk to her—"

"Talk, if you want," said Kate coldly, "but all you're doing is snogging her."

"Ah, well, why waste our scarce minutes talking when we could be doing something much more fun?" said Tyki pleasantly.

"Excuse me?" said Rei evenly. "So making out is more than talking to me?"

"You agree too, don't you?"

"Shut up, Tyki."

"Don't say that—it's always fun—"

"Look!" burst out Lavi. "I don't give a damn about them right now, Kate—what's going on with you?! I thought we were doing fine—I still, for the life of me, don't know why you're upset."

Kate looked taken back—her tan complexion alternated between a shade of pallor then a rosy red.

"B-because you said you wanted to spend the rest of your life with me!" she said hotly. "I—that was so awkward —"

"Sorry for telling the truth!" said Lavi exasperatedly. "But if that upset you, you could've just told me—"

"It's not that!" said Kate, her voice now shaky.

"Then what is it, Kate?!" said Lavi, taking her by the shoulders and looking straight down at her. "I don't get it—"

"You're too good to me!" she said, her voice bordering a wail.

"What?! That's a bad thing?!"

"No!" she cried. "But it makes me feel guilty!"

"Over what?" said Lavi, looking positively confused.

"I-I've slept with other m-men before," she said, now crying into her hands.

"…Well…" said Lavi awkwardly, "I mean, that's not good, but…I've slept with other women before…lots of other women…so there's really no meaning in feeling guilty, dear—"

"That's not it…" she said, sobbing. "There's one of them that I slept with that I-I feel r-really bad about—"

"Kate, I don't care, it doesn't matter—"

"N-no, I'm an awful person—"

"If you feel guilty about it, just tell me who it was," said Lavi gently, now approaching the situation with a suaveness that could only calm women down.

Or so Tyki thought. It apparently had the opposite effect on Kate.

"I-I r-r-really can't tell you," she said. "Y-you'll hate me…"

"I promise I won't. Please?"

There was a silence after his words, save for Kate's sobbing. Tyki and Rei looked expectantly at the dramatic scene.

"Kate?" said Lavi kindly.

"Please don't h-hate me."

"I won't," said Lavi patiently.

"Y-you too, Rei," said Kate.

"Me?" said Rei, bemused. "Of course I won't."

Kate took a deep breath, then said a name under her breath.

"…Sorry?" said Lavi.

"…I slept with him," said Kate wretchedly.

"Who?" said Rei, and there was a strong wariness in her voice now.

"Mikk," said Kate shakily. "I slept with your boyfriend."

* * *

**Free Talk**:

Sorry, one cliffhanger after another, and this probably seemed a bit random. It has a point, believe me. And sorry for the lack of other characters--it's hard juggling everyone in one chapter.

And sorry that the update is late, as well for the lack of interesting events. I don't think this was a very good chapter--sorry. I'm sinking back into Writer's Block and I'm also not doing terribly well in school right now--senioritis has hit me hard. I apologize.

Thanks to all who reviewed! We've broken 700 reviews, which is incredible. :) Thanks again!

And please review again! I'll try to update sooner--the next chapter will be the explanation of Kate and Tyki's VERY enigmatic relationship, (after all, why doesn't Tyki remember?), as well as the party. (Where hopefully Rei will do well enough to trump over Aiko, but you never know. It's Rei's life, after all. It's not too good.)

Again, sorry that this chapter isn't too great. I will try to make up for it in the next chapter.

Please review! I need the encouragement, haha. And again, in-depth discussion will be on my livejournal later. Please review!

xoxo,

m.n


	29. Kiss of Fatality

**Chapter 29: Kiss of Fatality **

**

* * *

**

_"And I know that it's complicated  
But I'm a loser in love  
So baby raise a glass to mend  
All the broken hearts  
Of all my wrecked up friends"_

_--**Lady Gaga**. "Speechless"_

_

* * *

_

"This…this is impossible," said Rei shakily after recovering from her initial shock. "You can't have slept with Tyki. You hate him. And you wouldn't do that—not when we're dating! And Tyki—Tyki, you didn't sleep with her, did you?"

"Not that I recall…" said Tyki uncertainly, looking at Kate. "Not unless I was flat-out drunk…"

"You were!" wailed Kate. "That's why you don't remember!"

"…But we've only been dating for a week—you couldn't possibly have…" said Rei faintly, feeling nauseous. "Kate, please, say it's a joke—"

"First things first," said Lavi calmly, sitting Kate down in a chair and looking steadily at her. "Was this before or after we started dating?"

"…After…" sobbed Kate.

Lavi looked absolutely pained at this.

"…Was it before or after Tyki and Rei started dating?" Lavi managed to say.

"…Before," was the muffled answer.

It seemed that Lavi could not bring himself to look at Kate. His green eyes left her face and stared into space—pain and shock was spread over his attractive European countenance.

Rei didn't know how she was supposed to feel. She could not help but be relieved that Tyki hadn't slept with Kate _after_ Rei and Tyki had started going out, but at the same time, Kate and Lavi hadn't started dating until _after_ Tyki met Rei, which meant that Kate must've been one of Tyki's nightly appointments or something…

"I'm…I'm going out for some air," said Lavi, his composure seemingly in place.

He walked out of the laundry room, shutting the door behind him, which only caused Kate to cry even harder.

Rei sighed and made her way to Kate, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"He h-hates me," cried Kate. "I-I knew I shouldn't h-have t-t-told him…"

"…He doesn't hate you," said Rei quietly. "He's just shocked. Kate, why?"

"W-why what? W-why did I cheat on L-Lavi? O-or why doesn't M-Mikk remember?"

"Both, really," said Rei patiently. She knew she could not afford to be angry with Kate at the moment—though Rei was upset and disappointed, knowing that her closest girl friend had actually bedded down with her boyfriend, she could see that Kate was feeling unbelievably guilty, and Rei had no desire to rub salt on the wound.

"I-I originally c-came to w-work with him b-because I-I heard Mikk was working w-with him…" said Kate. "I…I liked Mikk…"

This particular statement caused Rei's heart to sting with jealousy—Kate _liked_ Tyki? As in…_like_ liked him?

"When L-Lavi asked me out a-after our second date, I w-wasn't too sure…he's so much _younger_ than me…" said Kate, drying her tears on her arms. "But I-I said y-yes, because I c-could see that M-Mikk wasn't interested in me…"

"I beg to differ," muttered Tyki under his breath. "I only backed off of _you_ because Bookman liked you…"

"Tyki," said Rei through gritted teeth, feeling worse by the second, "if you don't shut up, I will _castrate_ you."

"I'm sorry, R-Rei…" said Kate, fresh tears leaking out of her brown eyes. "I'm an a-awful person…"

"Well, why doesn't Tyki remember?" said Rei, unable to look at Kate in the eyes without feeling some animosity.

"I-It…I saw him at a bar…maybe a few d-days before my first shoot with L-Lavi…and he seemed a…a bit upset…and by the looks of it…very drunk…s-so…"

Kate let her voice trail off as her tears fell down onto her clenched hands. Rei heaved another sigh, standing up.

"…I think I'm going to go find Bookman," she said. "It's probably better if I'm the one who talks to him…"

"Rei, I'm s-so sorry," said Kate tremulously.

"I…I can't say it's okay," said Rei with a pained smile. "I really can't say that. But…but I'm not really, really angry at you, okay? You…"

But Rei couldn't bring herself to say that Kate shouldn't feel guilty—even though Rei and Tyki hadn't been going out at the time, Rei was still jealous. And angry.

She simply shook her head and headed for the exit. She paused right before she left.

"Tyki…" she said quietly.

"…Yes?"

"I…"

"…You don't need to say anything," he sighed. "I know you don't believe me—you think I remembered that I slept with her. But I don't. Honest to God, I really don't remember. I'm guessing that that doesn't excuse me any, but…"

"It doesn't," she said, closing her eyes. "Sorry."

"Rei—"

Rei left without hearing the rest of Tyki's sentence. She gritted her teeth and massaged her temples as she walked down the hallway, trying to find Lavi. She knew she wasn't supposed to be upset as Tyki—they hadn't been dating, so it was the _past_, just a nightly appointment…

But at the same time, it wasn't a nightly appointment. Nightly appointments were almost figments of her imagination, to come and go, never to come back, except for that one particular one…

But Kate was _there_. She was still there, would be there for a very long time, considering that Rei thought of her as a friend, and Tyki and Lavi were basically "best friends." And if Kate and Tyki had slept together, then what if that old spark came back? What if Rei and Tyki got in a fight—would Tyki go find Kate?

Tyki screwing Kate would be so different from his finding a random girl in the street because Kate was a friend, a colleague—it was likely that Tyki felt something more for Kate. After all, Kate was beautiful, smart, confident, and good for Tyki's image…and even Tyki had just said that he would've gone for Kate had Bookman not first laid his eyes on her…

Rei found Lavi at the end of a corridor, leaning against a wall and looking out the window. She approached him silently; as she grew closer, she realized he was smoking a cigarette.

"Bookman," she said indignantly, reaching up and plucking the cig out of his hand, "it's a nonsmoking hallway…"

She dropped the cigarette to the ground and stepped on it, dousing its heat. She then looked up at Lavi, who was staring at her with a peculiar expression on his face.

"Hey," she said gently, "I know you're shocked…but Kate, she—"

Lavi grabbed Rei and held her tight to his chest, his lips finding hers as he kissed her passionately. Completely winded, Rei took a step back, which propelled Lavi to push her up against the wall, trapping her with his arms and his mouth. He was surprisingly strong.

Rei pushed against his chest, finally managing to break off the long and ardent kiss that caused her heart to unconsciously palpitate. Breathing harshly, all she could do was stare at him for a few seconds before launching her harangue.

"Are you insane?!" she said disbelievingly. "Just because—just because you hear that they've slept together—don't mess with me, Bookman!"

"It was a kiss!" snapped Lavi with uncustomary fury. "Yeah, that was a freaking _kiss_—they had _sex_—they slept together—how am I supposed to feel about that?! Right, she _cheated_ on me with your boyfriend—doesn't it make a lot of sense if, I dunno, we just shagged and made ourselves feel better about the entire ridiculous scenario?!"

"Kate feels awful!" said Rei desperately. "She feels so bad, she really loves you, Bookman. Back then, she didn't know what she was thinking—"

"Why aren't you angry?" said Lavi angrily. "Why are you even _defending_ her?! I could understand if you weren't angry with Mikk, but Kate?! Kate slept with your fucking boyfriend! Willingly! While he was drunk!"

"Of course I'm angry!" retaliated Rei. "I—I'm pissed, but I don't know who I should be pissed at!"

"Kate, of course!"

"But I can't be angry with her! Just…she's my first _girl_ friend, Bookman, and I know that she really wouldn't ever have done if Tyki and I had been dating—"

"I've always known she'd fancied him," said Lavi coolly. "She often talked about him earlier—saying how hot he was, how _dreamy_—I should've known from the beginning—"

"Please!" said Rei, leaning heavily against the wall. "She liked him initially, Bookman—it just happened, she saw an opportunity—and she didn't know she was in love with you back then! She—"

"But we were dating!"

"I don't know, Bookman!" said Rei, bringing her hand up to her face. "I don't know how I feel, but I just know that I don't want you and Kate to break up—"

"You don't want us to break up because you're scared that otherwise, Mikk might fall for Kate."

The words stumped Rei, and she stared at Lavi. He could see through her so well.

At her silence, Lavi gave a sardonic chuckle.

"Bull's-eye, eh? Shoulda known. It's all human nature, Rei. Everyone's selfish. It's not a crime."

He let out a breath, bringing a hand up to Rei's cheek. There was a silence as Lavi simply traced his hand up her cheekbone, to the corner of her eye, then back down her chin. Rei could not move. Would not move. She didn't know what she was supposed to do. She could hear the sadness in Lavi's voice, the pain, and at the same time, she could hear her own fears and anger in her voice as she spoke…

"You look really, really nice," he said softly, his hand trailing down her chin to her neck. "…Sometimes I don't know why Mikk doesn't treat you better…"

"He treats me fine," said Rei, bringing up a hand to push Lavi's away. "He treats me fine, and he was drunk, it's not his fault—"

"You don't seriously believe that, do you?" said Lavi almost condescendingly. "He doesn't treat you 'fine.' He's moody, and he lets it out on you. And even though it might not have been his fault—the thing with Kate—you still think it was. Don't try and play innocent, Rei. I know you—I know _people_—better than they know themselves. I also know that right now, you're wanting to kiss me as bad as I want to kiss you just to get back at them."

Rei looked into his eyes, a bit scared with his serious tone. Her green eyes were reflected in his one visible jade iris, and she found herself irresistibly drawn to him in a completely mutual, vindictive manner.

She leaned closer to him, stepping on the tips of her toes as he leaned down and met her lips, engulfing her in another kiss.

The kiss drew out for more than a few seconds, perhaps up to half a minute—thirty seconds of mutual, frenzied kissing that lacked romantic passion, consisting simply of vengeful, crazed ardency that had nothing to do with loving temperaments. They broke apart simultaneously.

"I can't do this," they said at the same time.

An awkward silence ensued as they drew apart, retreating to opposite sides of the hallway.

"We're pathetic," laughed Rei weakly, resting her head on her shoulder, staring fixatedly at the ground. "We can't even kiss each other for a minute."

"That's the saddest thing of my entire life story," chuckled Lavi, looking considerably less stressed. "If I can't even kiss you, I highly doubt I could shag you."

Rei snorted. "Not that I would let you, anyway."

Lavi raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that? You know, if you really wanted to get laid, I could put in some extra effort, make it a pretty amazing first time—"

"Okay, okay, I get it, you're phenomenal in bed," said Rei, laughing. She them sobered up. "I can't betray Tyki like that. Kissing you already makes me feel like crap."

"Gee, thanks," said Lavi dryly. "I've been told I'm a great kisser too. But I guess the feeling's mutual—I feel sick too."

"Hey, Tyki said I've gotten better at kissing!"

Lavi chuckled again, then looked at her seriously.

"I am seriously in love with Kate," he said with conviction. "The news that she cheated on me…it's hard for me to handle. It might take some time for me to trust her again…but I…I don't think I'll break up with her."

Relief spread through Rei's face.

"Good," she said. "You guys are cute together, anyway."

"Hm. So are you and Mikk."

"Yeah, no offense, Bookman, you're not my type," said Rei with a grin, walking with him back to the laundry room.

"Ha," he scoffed. "You wouldn't be sayin' that if you weren't dating Mikk. So we keeping these two kisses a secret?"

"Yeah, I don't want Kate flipping out again and thinking that I snogged her boyfriend out of spiteful satisfaction…"

"Which is exactly what you did."

Rei smiled again, feeling a bit more light-hearted, and opened the door to the room to alleviate the two guilt-ridden partners-in-crime of their culpability. Little did she know that the trouble had hardly ended, and in fact was just beginning, for she and Lavi had not been the only ones in the hallway at the time.

* * *

"Listen, Rei," said Tyki the moment they were alone in Lavi and Kate's room. "I know you're angry, but I seriously didn't know…"

"I know," mused Rei, readjusting her hat. "I just can't believe you can't remember sleeping with Kate…_Kate_, of all people. Do you even remember when it could've happened?"

"She said something about it being before the first collaborative shoot, right?" said Tyki, thinking. "It might've been that day when I first told you about what Marian wanted in the photo shoot…remember how we sorta got in a fight?"

"…So because of that petty little argument, you got shitfaced, slept with your best friend's girlfriend—"

"I didn't know it was her! And Bookman isn't my best friend—where did you get that _absurd_ terminology?"

"Whatever," she said, rolling her eyes and turning away. "I don't want to talk, Tyki, I'm not that happy right now—"

"But you just forgave Kate!"

"Yes," said Rei exasperatedly, "well, Kate is Kate, and you're Tyki, and it's much harder to forgive you than it is to forgive her, especially when she's crying like crazy."

"Is that what I have to do to ask for forgiveness?" said Tyki evenly. "Cry?"

"Look, Tyki," said Rei wearily. "I know it's not your fault. But how am I supposed to feel if I just found out you slept with Kate? I can't _not_ be angry, can I?"

"I just think you're overreacting," he said tersely. "I mean, hell, you saw me and that one girl back in Japan—"

"Oh, so because I've already seen you screwing another girl, this isn't supposed to make a big impact on me?" said Rei acerbically. "How about I just go make out with say—Lavi—in front of you and see if you make a big deal out of that—"

Tyki grabbed her and pushed her down on the bed, his golden eyes flashing.

"Don't," he said in a deadly voice, "even consider Bookman."

Rei's stomach lurched uncomfortably, and she refrained from stating that she and Lavi had already kissed just to get back at them.

"I won't," she said. "Who's the one overreacting now?"

Tyki just looked at her strangely, then kissed her fiercely as he pushed her fully down on the mattress, his hands sliding down her hips to her bare thighs, rubbing against the skin. His kiss was harsh and possessive, his touch rough and jerky, unlike his normally suave manner. Rei pulled away unconsciously, feeling uncomfortable with his forcefulness, but he took her back and slid his hand up her thigh, capturing her lips and forcing her in place.

His other hand pulled up the hem of her shirt, tracing his fingertips over her stomach and further under the thin cloth. She jerked back, her hat falling off messily as she struggled to escape his grasp.

"What are you doing?" she said with shaky anger, sitting up to face him. "Why—why are you being so—"

"You were fine with it back in the laundry room," said Tyki testily. "I'm just—"

"For your information, Tyki," said Rei coldly, "I don't think making out with me is the best idea right after I found out you shagged my best friend."

"I wouldn't shag your little friend Walker—"

"Kate, you idiot!" said Rei furiously. "Don't _touch_ me—you're completely overreacting just because I made a snide little joke about me snogging Bookman—which wouldn't even be a big deal!"

"It wouldn't be a big deal?" said Tyki skeptically. "You really think that you kissing Bookman isn't a big deal?"

"Well seeing as you've bedded down with every woman possible, I don't think that it is."

Tyki brought a hand up to Rei's cheek, stroking it gently.

"I beg to differ," he said softly, and his voice was growing lethal. "I see that as a _very_ big deal, Rei—I don't like to share the things that belong to me—"

"I've been demoted to a 'thing' now, have I?" she said through gritted teeth.

Tyki let out a weary sigh, cupping her face into his hands and kissing her very gently, a stark contrast from before.

"You are…" he said quietly, "you are more important to me than you'd think. And I am much more jealous of others…than one would expect…if I even imagine someone touching you, I feel so…"

Rei's stomach gave another unpleasant lurch. Shit.

"So don't joke around about that," said Tyki tiredly, resting his forehead against hers as he played with a tendril of her hair. "I don't want to see the image of you kissing Bookman or Kanda or anyone else…just me."

"You are…strangely possessive," said Rei, shifting uneasily. "I thought you Europeans were much more lax about physical touch—"

"Hah," said Tyki acidly. "Not when it comes to you. I'm very possessive of you—I hate sharing, and you're something I just can't _stand_ to share." He leaned in and kissed her again, this time a bit more urgently.

"Let me guess," said Rei as they broke apart. "You skipped out on your meds again."

"Isn't that a good thing?" he said, kissing the corner of her mouth. "Then I can just run back to you to distract me from taking those awful pills…"

Rei gave a sigh, wrapping her arms around Tyki's neck and kissing him fully. He pressed her back down on the mattress, satisfying his physical wants, as Rei responded fervently.

She felt a bit guilty. She had underestimated Tyki's emotions toward her—she had thought that he was very nonchalant with their relationship, seeking her out only for physical touch and not for anything deeper. But his words seemed genuine, to say the least…and she realized that if he found out about Rei and Lavi's two vengeful little kisses, he'd be…angry, and would most likely flip.

So good thing she and Lavi had decided to keep it their little secret. Hopefully Tyki would never find out.

* * *

"Kate!" said Rei frantically. "The extensions, the extensions!"

"Here, here," said Kate patiently, handing the black extensions to the hairdresser who was currently working on Rei. "Now, dear, why don't you close your eyes, count to a hundred, and not struggle? The team can work on you a lot easier if you don't make a mess of things."

Rei took a deep breath, thinking over what she was supposed to say to the press. She hated the cheesy answer that Kate had told her to give—it was exactly what Rei _didn't_ think, because she actually thought the paparazzi were a bunch of lying, gossiping jerks who liked to ruin celebrities' lives…if they wanted to ruin someone's life, they should've ruined Aiko's. That would've made Rei's life.

The hours passed, and Rei's neck was unbearably stiff by the time the makeup artist was done. Six o'clock rolled around, and it was soon time for them to join the rest of the group.

"Remember, breathe," said Kate kindly as the two of them walked down the stairs to the lobby. "Smile, at all times. It doesn't matter _how_ you smile—with your teeth, without your teeth, just as long as you look absolutely _happy_ and unperturbed by anything."

Kate was looking splendid in a very simple way. Even though the gathering was a big deal, her makeup was very natural, with brown eyeliner, rosy blush, and coffee-colored gloss. Her glorious brown hair was woven nicely in an elegant up-do, allowing her bare back to be shown through her low-cut gold dress. She wore her six-inch heels like they were part of her feet.

Rei was starting to get the hang of "gliding" with stilettos. It was hella painful and ungainly, but she was beginning to get used to it. Sad, really. She couldn't kick anybody in these—they'd probably die.

"We're here," said Kate breathlessly, taking Rei's wrist and leading her to the rest of the group in the lobby. "Remember, Rei, you look fabulous. Beautiful. You're dressed in the best labels, decorated by the best team—you are the _star_ of fashion, an icon. Be confident."

That was very hard. But Rei could not help but _feel_ beautiful, feel sexy, and she smirked as she walked toward Tyki's profile in the distance.

* * *

"Tyki," said Rei's voice behind him.

Tyki turned around to look at her, blinking a few times as he realized that he hardly recognized her. Her hair had been lengthened through silky black extensions, a few loose strands curling to perfection past her cheeks. The rest had been put up into a magnificent up-do, set in place with a silver hair ornament of some sort. She was wearing a ruffled silver dress that wrapped around her waist tightly, trailing all the way to the floor. A single pendant—diamond, by the looks of it—adorned her otherwise bare neck, matching the simplistic earrings.

Her makeup was bold, contrasting with her dress. Deep, black eyeliner winged out past her eyes, giving off a very fierce vibe, especially coupled with the deep red lipstick painted over her lips. Her skin seemed tanner—she must've gone to a tanning booth—and the glow of her now somewhat golden skin had a slimming effect. She looked more European than Asian.

Tyki scoffed, his lips parting in a smirk as he surveyed her up and down.

"Don't _you_ look fabulous," said Tyki, kissing her chastely on the cheek. "And don't I match you well."

"Your vest is silver, Tyki—that's it," said Rei wryly. "You sure I look okay?"

"Better than ever before," he said softly, inching his lips closer and closer to hers. "Just seeing you like this makes me want to take you to a very secluded area where we can have plenty of fun that doesn't involve this absolutely stunning silver dress that accentuates your curves to perfection and shows off your terribly fine legs which could be wrapped around my waist as—"

"Okay!" said Rei, flushing as she pushed his face away. "Goodness, I don't need to hear all the vulgar images going through your head."

Tyki shrugged nonchalantly.

"Hey, it's going to happen one day."

"When hell freezes over," she muttered under her breath, playing with a tendril of her extensions.

"Don't say that, darling."

"Prepare yourself for a lifetime of celibacy," she said with feigned haughtiness, leaning forward and curling a strand of his hair around her index finger. "Could you do that?"

"Dear goodness, no," he said. "We'd most definitely break up."

"So that means sex is more important than me?"

"Well, if you put it that way, no, but sex is _very_ important."

Before Rei could dryly retort that she had no intention of sleeping with Tyki right after she'd figured out about his little scandalous affair with Kate, someone interrupted them.

"Whoa," said a voice behind them.

Tyki turned around to see Kanda, Allen, and Lenalee walking towards them. Rei waved, only to have none of them wave back at her.

"Gee," she said sarcastically, "I love being ignored."

Allen blinked a few times.

"Whoa, _Rei_?! I thought it was some random hot chick who—"

"Since when did you start talking like Tyki and Bookman?!" said Rei, scandalized.

"I mean, I just didn't recognize you there…" said Allen awkwardly, glancing over at Lenalee as if assuring that she wasn't offended. "Wow, nice, Rei. I'm liking the long hair."

"Makes me kinda wish I'd kept mine long," said Rei wistfully. "There's more to do with long hair…"

"That's your fault," said Kanda simply, tossing a few stray strands of hair over his shoulder. "I personally think shorter hair is better on females, but—"

"You have such a backward view on aesthetics," said Rei dryly. "According to you, men look beautiful with long hair, and women look good with cropped boy-cuts."

"Not _that_ short."

"You look really beautiful, Matsumomo-san," smiled Lenalee.

Rei looked like she was going through a strong phase of guilt as she smiled back. Weird, now that Tyki thought about it…what was up with the sudden politeness? And…hm. Why was Kanda not matching Lenalee?

"You look amazing as well," said Rei, admiring Lenalee's looser royal purple dress that fell to her knees. "I mean, not that you don't usually…but I think purple is a very pretty color on you."

Lenalee laughed softly, causing her long earrings to dangle in the air.

"For some reason, I look better in dark blue and purple than any other color," she said. "Which is weird, since I'm so pale…"

"I think you'd look good in red too," said Rei considerately. "I think that's a universal Oriental trait, you know—"

"Kanda," interrupted Tyki, turning the attention to the males, "you look fabulous as well."

To everyone's surprise, Kanda simply smirked.

"Thanks, I get that a lot," he said. "Am I supposed to return the compliment?"

Tyki smiled. "Of course not, only polite and highly refined people return compliments to each other, so you're excused from that particular burden."

"Oi," said Rei, stepping lightly on Tyki's foot. "Are you trying to start a fight?"

"No," said Tyki innocently. "I'm just wondering why his and Lenalee's colors don't match, while Walker is conveniently wearing a nice shade of purple."

There was an awkward silence. Oh, so something had happened. He must've missed it earlier…

"Er…" said Allen, looking in between all of them. "Well, I'm escorting Lenalee for today!"

"Then…who's he escorting?" asked Tyki, pointing at Kanda.

Rei kicked Tyki lightly.

"Shut up," she said delicately into his ear. "Don't make this any worse than it already is."

"I'm not escorting anyone," said Kanda smoothly. "I suppose I could say that I'll be happy to escort Matsumomo once you two get in a fight at the gathering, like you always do. While I'm free, though, I'm sure it won't be hard to find a date."

Kanda was acting _extremely_ strange…

"…Are you flirting with my girlfriend?" said Tyki in a deadly tone.

"Of course not," snorted Kanda. "I just blatantly told her that I'm free if she gets bored of you."

"Okay, the limo is here," said Rei, feeling more and more uncomfortable with the conversation. "Let's go, let's go…"

Tyki glared at Kanda, who simply smirked as they left. As they climbed into the limo, Tyki draped his arm protectively around Rei's shoulders.

"You're not going to get bored of me, are you?" he murmured by her ear once everyone's attention was diverted elsewhere.

"Of course not," she said, blushing slightly as he licked her earlobe sensually. "Tyki, _stop_, I'm nervous—"

"You know, considering what I said earlier," he said huskily, "I still really want to take you somewhere secluded—perhaps in a closet, that'd be great—where we could just have our share of fun where I'd guarantee that you wouldn't be bored…"

"You are being awfully bold for someone whom I should be giving the cold shoulder to because I found out you slept with Kate when you were drunk," hissed Rei. "Now stop, or I'll start ignoring you."

"Mean…" said Tyki childishly, nuzzling her neck. "Shall I convince you to be nicer to me?"

"OI! MIKK!" shouted Kate from across the limo. "Keep your hands to yourself! Do I need to give you and Rei the sex talk?!"

"Oh dear God," said Tyki, laying his head on Rei's shoulder. "Shut up, Kate, it was going beautifully until you butted in…"

"It will so not be going beautifully once I get my hands on you—"

"And end up snogging me instead," said Tyki quietly, amused.

"Tyki, shut up," said Rei snappishly, looking outside. "You're not making me feel any better."

It seemed that Rei's annoyance was genuine. Tyki, being the considerate gentleman he was, decided to stop it with the sexual innuendos and simply kissed her on the cheek, trying to reassure her and assuage her fears.

"Don't worry, sweet. I'll be right there with you. Don't worry."

* * *

"Tyki Mikk is a bloody liar," whispered Rei angrily to Kate as they moved around the room. "He said he'd be here with me, but no, he's glued to that Satsuma—"

"Satsuma's glued to him," said Kate calmly, handing her a glass of champagne. "And please, Rei, stop worrying—it's not his fault that you can't stand anywhere near her, and you'll do fine without him."

"Tch, I hope," said Rei, sipping her drink with her little pinky sticking out. "Do I look okay?"

"Marvelous," said Kate confidently. "Just remember to watch your mouth, Rei, no matter what that bitch says."

"Sure," said Rei breathlessly. "I can do that. Just don't talk back to Aiko, that's easy—hell, Kate, that's as easy as trying to stick a camel through a needle or whatever the hell the saying is…"

Rei's eyes landed on Kanda, who was surrounded by ladies, all eager to ask why he wasn't escorting Lenalee. Strangely enough, Kanda was not shooing them away. A smooth smirk graced his lips, and Rei could not help but notice that he looked, quite to the contrary, very comfortable with where he was.

"Damn, Kanda is _fine_," said Kate, grinning.

"That he is," murmured Rei, clinking her glass against Kate's. "But he is acting so weird—he's normally radiating the aura of 'get the hell away from me or I'll deep fry you with my sushi' but…"

"Rei, I think you should stop talking because none of your analogies are making any sense," said Kate sensibly. "Breathe a bit, calm down, and…here come the reporters."

A group was mass migrating towards Rei. She spotted Aiko, dressed in a strapless red and white dress that trailed down her legs. It was rather low cut, allowing her breasts to seem abnormally large—Rei could swear she'd had plastic surgery—and she was looking extremely smug as she clung onto a painfully disgusted-looking Tyki, who was evidently struggling to get away from her. When they were within a few feet of Rei, Tyki finally managed to break away from Aiko and stand by Rei.

"Sorry," he muttered into her ear. "Damn girl is so persistent…" He kissed her on the cheek. "Feeling okay?"

"I'm fine," she answered. She then turned her attention to the reporters and Aiko. "Is this all right?" she smiled. "Are we forgetting the restraint order for the moment?"

"Only because I'm excusing it for now," said Aiko, smiling with equal venom. "Well, don't you look lovely, Matsumomo-san, contrary to your normal self."

"Why thank you, Satsuma-san," said Rei, her smile hardening. "You look positively wonderful yourself, you know—the candy-cane costume suits you perfectly."

"Rei…" said Kate warningly under her breath.

"So here we are!" said a female reporter, beaming in front of a ton of cameras and recorders. "Joining us are Aiko Satsuma, Tyki Mikk's fiancée, Tyki Mikk himself, and Rei Matsumomo, Tyki's copartner in the shoots for Cross Marian! Also with us is Kate Schrödlich, famous female model in Europe and coincidentally Lavi Bookman's girlfriend!"

"Why am I feeling like I'm a side-note?" said Kate sweetly very quietly by Rei.

"Because for once in your life," replied Rei, still smiling broadly at the cameras, "you're not the topic of interest."

"Wow, Miss Matsumomo," said the reporter, turning to Rei. "You're looking…well, amazing tonight. Quite the look!"

"Thank you," said Rei. "I appreciate the compliment."

"So tell us, Miss Matsumomo," said the newscaster."You've heard the accusations that Aiko has placed on you—how do you respond to that?"

"I'm somewhat hurt, really," said Rei with a dramatic sigh. "I don't mean to point fingers and say that she's lying—she's such a dear, of course she wouldn't—but I definitely didn't push that girl down the stairs. She must simply have memory issues."

"Really?" said Aiko. "I beg to differ—I'm quite sure of my memory—"

"Yes, and that was so well proven by your school rank," said Rei, allowing her tongue to slip a bit. "Forgive me, Satsuma-san, I don't think I could trust you with your intelligence considering—"

"Well we all know that you were being a bodyguard for Kanda, and that is an irrefutable fact," said Aiko hastily. "What do you have to say to that?"

Rei let out another dramatic sigh.

"Yes," she said. "It's true, I was Kanda's bodyguard for a while. My father was a retired bodyguard who simply disappeared on me one day—as a seventeen year old teenager and scholarship student at the expensive Black Order High School, how could I afford to continue my education without a job? I was trained to be a successful bodyguard, so it was a logical course of action to take a job that not only was I good at, but also paid extremely well. You see, it was all done with the purpose of furthering my education, which was very important to me."

A fake tear crept up to Rei's eyes, and she brushed them away. (Kate had given her intensive lessons in learning how to cry at will.)

"Education," said Rei tremulously, "is something that not all students should take for granted. There are many people in the world who would love to have an education but don't have the money, resources, or transportation to obtain it. I knew that, and I wanted to do my best to continue my education—I wanted to work my hardest for a better learning experience. Some students at my school—Satsuma-san—they thought it was a God-given right for them to be able to learn at one of Japan's most prestigious schools, and they depended on their parents' money and influence to get them in. But I was like the bulk of Japanese students—I was a so-called "commoner" who studied and worked hard to get where I was, and there was nothing—absolutely nothing—that I would make me give it up without a fight."

There was a long and silent pause after Rei's long speech, and the reporter was absolutely stunned with her longwinded, sincere answer.

"I…I understand," said the reporter. "T-that's wonderful. I'm so glad you value education, Miss Matsumomo—and to work for Yuu Kanda—that must've been very hard on you."

"It was," said Rei. "But he taught me many things, and I believe I've come out stronger in the end."

"…So…thank you for your wonderful answer," said the reporter, truly touched. "I'm glad we've been able to see a bit more of you now…the next question is a bit more serious—many people are questioning your and Tyki's relationship, and quite frankly, seeing that Tyki has a fiancée, it would be very problematic if you two engaged in a relationship of sorts. What do you say? Where do you two stand?"

Rei exchanged an edgy look with Tyki, who nodded curtly.

"I'll take this question," said Tyki, stepping in front of Rei. He took a deep breath, then looked straight at the reporter with a smile. "Rei and I started off in this shoot merely acquaintances and colleagues. We did not plan to have a romantic relationship of any sort—I had problems, she had problems, and we'd decided to keep our work professional."

"Of course," interjected Rei, linking her arm around Tyki's, "true love has no bounds. We fell for each other."

"Really?!" said the reporter, looking amazed. "So…so you two are dating now! Well, what about Miss Satsuma?!"

"Yes," said Aiko tersely, "what about me? I am the designated fiancée, if you don't recall, and this—"

"Rei and I started going out before it was announced to me that I had a fiancée," interrupted Tyki. "I didn't know, but seeing as it was arranged, I think I would've fallen for Rei all the same. We…we're very serious about this relationship."

"Wow," said the reporter, looking between the two of them. "Well, Tyki, you have a history of being a somewhat notorious playboy—how would you assure your fans and girlfriend that you're serious this time?"

"I have nothing to assure them with," said Tyki, flashing his white, even teeth in a glorious smirk, "except for my word. I'm serious about Rei, and I am going to do all I can to make this relationship last."

"That's sweet," said the newscaster, smiling. "And Rei? What about you?"

"Well, Tyki's my first boyfriend," said Rei with a very uncharacteristic laugh. "So yes, I'm very serious."

"Really?" said Aiko, smirking in a way that made Rei apprehensive. "You're very serious about Tyki?"

"Yes," said Rei. "I am."

"I beg to differ," said Aiko, smirk broadening. "In fact, I have a rather scandalous piece of news to tell everyone."

"What is it, Miss Satsuma?" the reporter asked, looking anxiously at Aiko.

"Serious?" laughed Aiko. "She's not serious. I have proof. Here!"

A bodyguard handed Aiko a camera, and she pressed the playback button.

Rei's heart froze. She knew what Aiko was going to pull out before she even saw it.

"Serious?" repeated Aiko. "Oh, no. Matsumomo Rei is far from being serious. Here, I have it! Lavi Bookman and Matsumomo Rei—what are they doing? Ha, this is it! A kiss!"

And with a kiss, she'd die.

* * *

**Free Talk**:

Thanks so much for your reviews last chapter! :)

I'm sorry for the awful ending, but I wanted to get it out before I went to sleep.

I know the cilffhangers are getting old--I promise that that'll stop with the next few chapters. I'm thinking of focusing more on emotional development for the next few.

Please don't think too much about Rei and Lavi's kiss. As said a few times in the chapter, it was done out of spite, and the two of them can never be a pair. So don't think it's becoming a love...square, or something. Haha.

I apologize if Rei seems overly beautiful in the last few chapters. I'm a bit tired of it myself--I rather liked it when she was the one with the motorbike and etc...but she's changed a bit...it's okay, she'll go back to her rather messy appearance soon enough, if that's of any solace to you. :)

As always, discussion will be on my LJ later. For now, please review! :)

Thanks~

xoxo

m.n


	30. Side Story: A Valentine's Day Special

**A Valentine's Day Special**

Kanda woke up hating the day.

Kanda hated a lot of things. People, in general. Music. Well, specifically loud, screaming music that made his head hurt. Sweets. Liars.

And he hated specific days too. Valentine's Day in particular.

Because it encompassed pretty much everything he hated.

Sweets. _Love_. Screaming girls. Who talked about love. Which made them all liars.

But what he didn't realize was that there was going to be a year where he wished Valentine's Day wasn't the equivalent to Single Awareness Day. Because usually, he had Lenalee to badger him on V-day to spend the day with her, to go out to dinner and maybe watch a movie. Well, perhaps not badger. Lenalee hadn't ever really badgered. She had just asked politely. But he'd felt so obligated to go out with her that it felt like badgering.

However, being alone on Valentine's Day wasn't that great of a feeling either. Especially when the person he _wanted_ to be with was with someone else. Damn.

And it happened to be her birthday.

It wasn't like he'd _tried_ to remember her birthday in particular. Seriously, it wasn't a hard day to remember. Valentine's Day. The day where he lost about three years of his life trying to get away from screeching fans.

Kanda's blue eyes flickered to the clock resting on the bed next to him. Eight-thirty in the morning. It was slightly short of pathetic that the first thing he remembered upon awakening was Rei's birthday. And Valentine's Day. It had been simultaneous. No, he had not thought of Rei first.

Kanda lied down on the bed of his hotel room. How old was Rei now? Eighteen? And how old was Mikk? Twenty…one? Two? Either way. That was a three to four year difference.

Kanda grimaced.

That was like…a first year in high school dating a first year in college. Disgusting. It wouldn't last. Definitely.

So…what was he supposed to get her again?

* * *

Rei woke up hating the day. She was feeling disoriented. With her hair spiked up in awful arrays. Feeling sluggish.

She turned to her side, her green eyes landing on Tyki, who was lying beside her, still asleep. Strange. Her gaze trailed over to the bed that was situated a few feet away. She'd definitely gone to sleep by herself last night.

"Hey," she murmured, leaning next to his face and brushing her lips against his forehead. "Did you get lonely last night or something? Wake up…"

"Happy Valentine's Day," he said groggily, pulling her down by the arms and kissing her. "Sorry, you looked so cuddly that I just had to sleep with you…"

"More like you were bored because you couldn't sleep because of all the coffee you drank last night," said Rei lightly, pulling out of his grasp and rolling out over the bed, slipping into a pair of slippers. "You just decided I looked…cuddly, and wanted to sleep with me?"

"Wrong," said Tyki, pulling her back by the wrist. "I want to sleep with you _all_ the time—just last night particularly so. I was so tempted to wake you up so we could engage in some…naughty activities…"

"Not likely," she said, defiantly tugging her hand away and standing up, stretching. She ran a hand through her hair.

"C'mon, Rei," sighed Tyki, sitting up as well. Unlike Rei, with her terribly disheveled Morning Look, Tyki still looked glorious despite his slightly messy hair, his bare chest, his brilliant eyes—oh, wait, those were aspects that made him look _good_…

"It's Valentine's Day," he continued. "A day for _lovers_. A day where we can stay home and have fun to ourselves—let's just stay in the room all day, enjoying each others' company…"

"Sorry," she said with an apologetic look, already heading to the bathroom for a shower. "I have to distribute chocolate—I made some yesterday afternoon…"

"Chocolate?" he said, rolling out of bed and following her. "You can make chocolate?"

"I usually make it for Christmas, but since I'm surrounded by Europeans and Valentine's Day seems to be a big deal in your culture, I thought I'd make some chocolate…"

"Just for me, right?" said Tyki, entering the bathroom behind her. "You're not going to give any chocolate to any other guys, right?"

"Yes, I am going to give other guys chocolate," said Rei tiredly, looking into the mirror and nearly cringing at her appearance.

"…You're going to give me more right?" said Tyki warily.

"No," she said with a sigh. "Everyone gets the same amount…"

"…Rei," he said with a bit of curtness, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Tyki, it's chocolate," replied Rei, washing her face. "It's just chocolate."

"Made by you, for your boyfriend, usually," he said, nuzzling her neck. "_Just_ for your boyfriend."

"Tyki, stop being such a dominating jerk."

"Stop being such a flirtatious girlfriend," he said dryly. "Come on, Rei, you're supposed to be making chocolate just for _me_…"

Rei rolled her eyes, unyielding as she reached for her toothbrush and toothpaste.

"You know," said Tyki in his most seductive voice, "you look gorgeous today…"

Rei snorted, nearly choking on the minty foam in her mouth as she spat out the toothpaste into the sink.

"I _beg_ to differ," she laughed, rinsing her mouth. "Stop it, Tyki, it's really not a big deal. Chocolate."

"Rei," he said, "in Japanese culture, isn't Valentine's Day supposed to be the day where girls give guys chocolate? Usually only to the person they _like_?"

"And usually," said Rei with awful sarcasm, "aren't _birthdays_ usually the days where girlfriends are _pampered _—not _nagged_—by their boyfriends?"

Tyki froze. Rei, having already suspected that Tyki had no idea that it was her birthday, gave him a hard smile.

"Now then, Tyki dear, don't nag me about giving chocolate to other guys when you can't even remember my birthday, okay? I'm going to go take a shower now. You can go get breakfast first."

It wasn't a suggestion. Or request.

It was almost a command.

One that Tyki grudgingly obeyed.

* * *

When Tyki walked into the dining room, he was greeted with a huge, "_HAPPY BIRTHDAY!_"

He blinked a few times, completely bewildered by the darkness of the room, the flickering glow of eighteen candles on a gigantic cake.

"Hang on a sec," said Allen's voice from the dark. "It's just Mikk? Did we just mess this up? Fuck…"

"Turn on the lights, Mikk," said Kate's voice exasperatedly. "Where the hell's Rei?"

"Hang on…" said Tyki slowly as he turned on the lights. "Don't tell me _everyone_ knew that it was Rei's birthday."

"Well, obviously," said Allen, blowing out the candles and plucking them out of the cake. "I'm her best friend—hey, Lenalee, could you hand me another eighteen candles? We should redo the candles…"

"Sure," said Lenalee. "I'll do it though—you might end up massacring the cake…"

"Or more or less eating it," said Kanda dryly. "Little kid can't stop eating—it's a wonder why he's not fat."

"Well at least I'm not a skinny little beanpole like you," retorted Allen.

Tyki groaned. "Don't tell me you _all_ knew that it was Rei's birthday."

"Allen told me a few days ago," said Lenalee.

"She mentioned to me and Lavi a few weeks ago," said Kate. Lavi nodded with her.

Tyki turned eyes to Kanda, trying to elicit an explanation out of him. Perhaps Kanda had some ulterior motive, some Hidden Passion, some…

Unfortunately, Kanda's answer was incredibly blasé. He simply rolled his eyes and answered,

"She was my employee. Date of birth was definitely one of the requirements on the official documents—I just happened to remember it because it fell on Hell Day."

"…It's called Valentine's Day," said Allen disapprovingly.

Kanda shrugged. "It's Hell Day for me. So if Matsumomo was born on Hell Day, then that must mean that she's just the Devil's Spawn."

"Why are you even here to celebrate the birth of the so-called Devil's Spawn then?" said Lavi, amused.

Again, another shrug. "Went with the flow."

"Shit…" groaned Tyki. "She's going to kill me…"

"Don't tell me," said Lavi. "You forgot."

"Worse," said Tyki feverishly. "I didn't even _know_."

"Failure," snorted Kate.

"Shut up," said Tyki, sitting down at the table. "What am I supposed to do now?"

"…Make it up to her," said Lavi. "Buy her something."

"She won't want anything," said Allen pointedly.

"What am I supposed to get her?" said Tyki, trying to grasp for any hope of redemption and thus effectively ignoring Allen's pessimism.

"Flowers," suggested Lenalee.

"Chocolate," suggested Allen.

"Godiva," suggested Lavi in specifics.

"A Tiffany's diamond necklace," suggested Kate with a metallic glint in her light brown eyes.

"Hell, no," said Tyki, fiddling with a fork. "I already bought her an emerald set for Christmas—cost me a fortune."

"What for?" said Allen, scandalized. "You barely knew her back then."

Tyki shrugged his shoulders. "To seduce her."

"Hm," said Lavi thoughtfully. "Well, it worked. Maybe if you give her diamonds, it'll convince her to have sex with you."

Kanda, who was drinking a bottle of water, abruptly spat out. An interesting reaction.

"Hm…" said Tyki, contemplating Lavi's statement and ignoring Allen's defiant stare, Lenalee's blush, Kanda's disgust, and Kate's revulsion. "You know, that's a pretty good idea."

"Hell, no!" said Kate. "Forget the diamonds—just…just go get her some mud—the less you spend, the more she'll like it!"

The dining room door creaked open, revealing Rei, her hair damp from her shower, her eyes looking abnormally large as her bangs were brushed up from her forehead. She stared at the crowd, looking uncertainly at the cake.

"Oh man," sighed Allen. "We failed. Miserably."

* * *

Kanda took Kate aside quickly as the group started to cut the cake.

"Hey," he hissed. "Schrödlich."

Kate looked at him, surprised. He usually never instigated a conversation with her.

"What's up?" she asked.

"…Does giving a diamond—or crystal necklace really mean that I want to have…I mean…do it with the…receiver of the present?" he said, looking incredibly uncomfortable.

Kate's jaw dropped.

"You bought Rei a Tiffany's necklace?"

"Swarovski," he mumbled. "It's just a necklace—not that much—"

"_Swarovski?!_ When you're not even dating?!"

"Shit," said Kanda, rubbing his temples with his hand. "I knew it—I was thinking too much about it and it was completely last minute and I thought I was going to look like a moron if I was the only one who didn't get her a present."

"Oh, it's okay," said Kate acidly, "Rei's own boyfriend didn't get her anything. But seriously. It's okay. What make is it?"

"Some Lunar…Pendant…Indian thing."

Kate's eyes widened.

"The Lunar Indian Sapphire Pendant?" she said excitedly. "Oh, that's _gorgeous_. It's okay, you know. I think Rei will find the gesture to be especially touching."

Kanda raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure?" he said uncertainly. "I mean, it's a damn pricey gift—"

"You just said it wasn't," said Kate pointedly.

"Right, well, it was hella expensive—I just don't want her to…er…"

"Just make it clear," said Kate gently, though secretly finding the entire situation incredibly funny. Kanda was so damn innocent. "Just make it clear that your intentions are very pure, and that it's just a gift. Oh, but you might want to give it to her alone, you know. Some people might misunderstand."

Kanda nodded, still looking a bit unsure, but seemed to be resigned.

"Thanks," he said.

Kate worked very hard to keep her smile in tact without seeming like she was going to burst out laughing.

"No problem."

* * *

Rei wasn't _really_ mad at Tyki. Her annoyance had been more of a joke—she'd just wanted to get him off her back for giving everyone else chocolate.

It was amusing, however, to see him…feeling bad.

She was eating her cake, genuinely touched by the surprise party that had so definitively failed but was still sincere all the same. Tyki looked incredibly guilty as the presents began piling up.

"An iPhone from Lavi and me," said Kate fondly, handing it to Rei. "We already had all your contacts added in—and I just got you a membership card to a spa that I go to in England, so whenever you're around town, we can go together—it's free."

"…Isn't an iPhone pricey?" muttered Kanda under his breath.

"Well, it was split between us two," said Kate with a smile. "It's all good."

"Are you sure?" said Rei, looking awkward. "I mean, I have a phone."

"But iPhones are so handy," said Kate. "Trust me, it's worth it. Now, who's up next?"

"Me," said Allen. "I'm not rich, so sorry if mine pales in comparison. I just got you a photo album—the collection of all my pictures. You might like it—if not…well, sorry. First edition?"

"I'm sure they're amazing…thanks so much," said Rei, taking the leather-bound book. "That's so…wow, Allen, you've gotten really good—"

"Well, don't look at it now!" said Allen sheepishly. "Lenalee's waiting!"

"I had a bracelet designed in China for you," said Lenalee, handing her the velvet box. "I hope you like it!"

"Thanks," said Rei sincerely. "Mind if I open it?"

"Not now," said Lenalee with a wink. "Kanda has to give you his gift."

"I'll give it to you later," he said, looking up at the ceiling.

"You got me a gift?" said Rei incredulously.

"Yeah, I did," he said, still determinedly avoiding her eyes. "Unlike…well, I just left it in my room—I'll get it to you later."

"Oh. Thanks. I, er, I made chocolate for everyone for Valentine's Day, but I'm not quite done writing the cards—wait for a few hours and I'll be done? Sorry…"

"No problem!" said Allen cheerily. "Yes, Rei's chocolate is the best! Another supply for me! My Christmas stash ran out a long time ago…"

Rei stood up, her arms laden with gifts.

"Well, I'm just going to put these in my room before I get robbed for all my very expensive gifts. Thank you all, seriously. That's so amazing."

She exited the room as the rest of the group sat down to devour the rest of the cake. Rei was halfway back to her room when she realized that Kanda was behind her.

"Hey," he said. "I actually had the gift on me—I just didn't really want to give it to you in front of everyone else."

"Oh," she said. "No problem."

He laid another slick, velvety box on top of her rather large pile of gifts.

"So…just because I got you…what I got you," he said, looking disturbed, "that doesn't mean I want to…sleep with you or anything."

"…Eh?"

"That's all," he said quickly. "Just clearing that mistake up. Sorry. Got to go."

Rei could've sworn that he was blushing as he left.

Very confused, she entered her room, feeling as if she'd missed something incredibly important.

* * *

"Kate!" said Rei. "Kanda just said that he didn't want to sleep with me."

"…Is he supposed to want to sleep with you when you guys aren't dating and he's probably never slept with anyone before?" said Kate.

"No, that's not what I meant—he just gave me my gift—a _beautiful_ pendant, probably _way_ too expensive for me—and said that he didn't want to sleep with me. That made _no_ sense whatsoever."

"Oh my goodness," laughed Kate. "He actually said it. I was just teasing him—we were kidding around earlier, saying that giving a girl diamonds meant that you wanted to have sex—but it was a joke that he took literally…"

"Oh. Jeez, Kate, don't do that—I thought he was being serious…"

"Well, he was," said Kate. "Just in the wrong context."

"Well, good," said Rei.

Kate eyed her beadily. "So…you want to sleep with Mr. Kanda?"

"No," said Rei. "I want to sleep with Mr. Mikk. If he would even remember my birthday."

"You want to sleep with Mikk?!"

"Well, not now," said Rei. "In…due time? I guess. I don't know. I'm not ready now."

Kate nodded sympathetically.

"It's okay, girl, it takes some time for us to accept that sex is a part of life. A very fun, delightful, amazing part of—"

"Okay, Kate," said Rei, tossing Kate her chocolate package. "Happy Valentine's Day."

"Thank you very much!" said Kate. "Lavi and I are going to spend it wonderfully—together—tonight—in bed…"

"Good to know," said Rei dryly, preparing to leave.

"Hey, you should toy with Mikk a bit, y'know?" Kate grinned. "He's feeling awfully bad that he forgot your birthday—goes against his playboy standards, you know, so you could probably wheedle whatever you want out of him."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Maybe I can get a decent record of how many women he's slept with, how many times, and how often I can punch him because of them…"

* * *

Rei found Kanda in the hallway near his room. He looked awkward around her.

"Here you go," she said, handing him a neatly bowed package of chocolate. "Happy Hell Day. According to you. Happy Birth-of-the-Devil's-Spawn Day."

"It was a joke," he said, accepting the package and the card.

"Kanda Yuu doesn't joke," said Rei seriously. "Thank you for the gift. It's okay, I don't want to sleep with you either. Happy Eating. Happy Hell Day. Bye bye."

She left Kanda alone in the hallway. Despite being given a very lovely pendant, she didn't appreciate being called the Devil's Spawn.

* * *

"Tyki," said Rei as she reentered her bedroom. She was greeted by the sounds of a lightly strummed guitar. She paused at the doorway, looking at Tyki who was sitting on Rei's bed, a smooth and gorgeous guitar in his hands. He was playing a few random chords, all very pretty, all very harmonious.

"Hi," he said, not stopping his instrumentalism. "Finish distributing chocolate?"

"Except for yours," she said, tossing over his gift and climbing onto the bed with him. "Do you have to be perfect at everything? You can cook, you're hot as hell, you're ripped, and you can play guitar? Have you explored all the complex folds of the male's multi-faceted personality, Mr. Mikk?"

"Except for intelligence," he said, closing his eyes as she kissed him on the lips. "Shall I serenade you? An authentic Tyki Mikk Happy Birthday song? I was going to get you diamonds instead, but…" His golden eyes flickered over to Rei's stack of presents. "I see Mr. Kanda has already gotten you a rather charming gift of jewelry…and so has Ms. Lee. I must say that I like Ms. Lee's more."

"Would you be angry if I said I liked Kanda's more?" she asked, leaning against the pillows. "Lenalee's is very cute but rather ornate—Kanda's is more my style. Simple."

"Are you trying to make me jealous?" said Tyki, strumming the guitar and letting the G-chord ring in the air.

"Perhaps. Or guilty."

"How should I make up the day to you then?" he asked, leaning down and kissing her again. "Sing you a song? Make dinner for you? Pamper you like a princess?"

"Don't sing the Happy Birthday song," she said, laying her head against his muscular forearm. "Just sing…something. In a different language. That'd be nice."

"I only know…lullabies. In Spanish," he said.

"That's fine," she said wearily, scooting closer to him. "That'd be good."

Tyki was really quite perfect. He had a beautiful bass voice, deep and smooth, and his language just _flowed_ when he spoke Spanish, or rather, sang in it. And the chords were lovely, lilting, and soothing.

If Rei could have seen the look in Tyki's eyes as he stared at her sleeping figure, she would've felt very satisfied with the mere shimmer in his irises as a simply birthday present.

* * *

Tyki, after confirming that Rei was asleep, finally stopped playing. His throat was dry from singing—who knew, if modeling stopped working for him, maybe he could be a singer. That'd be nice. Difficult, but nice.

He picked up her Valentine's Day card and opened it, his golden eyes scanning the page.

_I didn't expect you to know it was my birthday today_, it read_, so you're excused from any punishment. For Today Only. Coupon Expires Today. Do not forget a second time. And if you're going to say that I don't know your birthday either—you're wrong. All creepy fans know their idols' birthday and celebrate them pretty much as their own. _

There was some Japanese scrawled in the very bottom corner. Tyki didn't need Google Translation to know what it said.

Aishiteru.

* * *

Kanda opened up his card in the confinements of his room.

_Hi Kanda,_

_Thanks for the necklace. It's really, really lovely. You probably spent a lot of money on it and in most cases, I'd refuse to take it, but seeing as you're rich as hell, it was probably a penny from your pocket, so I'll graciously accept it. Happy Hell Day. And thanks again._

_P.S. Chocolate doesn't mean that I want to sleep with you either. Chocolate doesn't even mean that I want to kiss you. Just clearing up that potential misunderstanding._

_Rei_

He frowned and opened up the chocolate.

He hated sweets. Girls. Liars.

He ate a piece of chocolate, grimacing as the sweet taste melted over his tongue.

And he still hated Valentine's Day.

* * *

**Free Talk**:

In case you haven't noticed, this isn't a real chapter. Sorry that the time line is kinda screwy--I'm not really sure where this goes. Probably sometime after Kanda and Lenalee broke up and before the party in the last chapter. Don't think of it too hard, though what happened really did happen in the real plot, if that makes any sense. It's just sorta what happened on Valentine's Day (because DIW is in February, I think.)

Sorry that I haven't updated the real story in a while--I'm a bit at a Writer's Block. And sorry that this side-story wasn't that up-to-par in length or in...substance. I wanted to get this out while it was still V-Day in my time.

Thank you for all your reviews last chapter!!

So I hope you had a great Valentine's Day! And since you can't give me chocolate, please leave me a review as a Valentine's Day present. :)

xoxo,

m.n


	31. Little Love Game

**Chapter 30: Little Love Game**

_**

* * *

"**Oily marks appear on walls_  
_ Where pleasure moments hung before the takeover,_  
_ The sweeping insensitivity of this still life."_

_--**Imogen Heap**. "Hide and Seek"_

_

* * *

_

It was strange that whenever Rei was under pressure and needed to think for a way out of the situation, her brain ceased to function. Lies could not spring to her head like she needed them to. Never, when she needed them to. Like a world gone wrong. Everything always went wrong, it seemed.

And so Aiko was standing there, waving that awful picture in front of her, and Rei just paused for what seemed like an eternity, thinking. Of a way to get out of the situation, of a way to explain it, not only to the reporter and Aiko, but more specifically to Kate, and most importantly, to Tyki.

Yet words failed her. She could not think of a single thing to say, for she knew that she deserved the unveiling of her crime, her source of guilt…

Surprisingly enough, it was Allen who saved the day.

He strode over from a few meters away, brushing past Tyki, and looked at Aiko determinedly.

"That was my doing," he said calmly. "I'm Cross Marian's assistant and aspiring photographer—I wanted to see the limits of Rei's capabilities by testing whether or not she could have any chemistry with someone other than Mikk."

"Don't try to cover for her," said Aiko. "No one else was in the hallway except for me!"

"I have a picture," said Allen coolly, unzipping his camera case and pulling out his Nikon. "Hm…here we go."

He held up the camera, showing the same picture Aiko held in her hand, just from a farther angle. Aiko opened her mouth furiously, but Kate cut her off.

"I think that's a more than satisfactory explanation," said Kate. "After all, I can vouch for Rei—Lavi told me beforehand about this and I was fine with it."

"Really?" said the reporter, recovering from her apprehension and smoothing out her expression. "That's reassuring then—and what about you, Tyki? Did Rei tell you about it?"

Rei bit down on her lower lip, looking away. She knew Tyki was angry; she could sense it emanating out of his profile, and she was always unsure of what Tyki's control was like when he was angry…she was silently praying to him to go with the flow, to not be petty in front of a million people…

"Yeah, she did," said Tyki after a pause. "I was fine with it."

"Oh, then everything's fine," said the reporter with a smile. "I'm glad it was just a shoot—I was getting a bit worried there! Well, thanks for your time, everyone! It was an extremely enlightening interview."

Rei smiled appreciatively, her eyes instead glancing over Tyki's face instead; he was looking remarkably impassive, his smile a bit strained and whatnot, but otherwise normal. The reporter left the group, leaving Aiko out-of-place with the rest of them.

"So," hissed Aiko, "you're lucky for getting out of it this time, but next time—"

"There won't be a next time, Satsuma," said Rei. "Dig out everything you want—you've already unraveled all my secrets, so I have nothing left to hide. If you'll excuse us now…"

She let her voice trail off, pulling Tyki away from Aiko. The rest of the group followed, and they regrouped in a corner of the room.

"Thanks so much, Allen," said Rei, looking extremely relieved. "How in the world—"

"I took a picture of Satsuma's picture the moment she held it up," said Allen. "But seriously, Rei, what were you thinking?! If you and Bookman have—"

"There is nothing going on," she said, feeling worse by the second. "Kate, I—I don't know what I was thinking…"

"It's cool," said Kate serenely. "Lavi told me."

"…He did?"

"Yeah," said Kate, taking a glass from a passing waiter. "Naturally, I forgave him, especially after…yeah, well, now we're even. But…" Kate's gaze wandered over Tyki's face. "It looks like little Mikk didn't know, eh?"

"I didn't," said Tyki, also taking a glass from the waiter. "But I don't mind. It's not a big deal."

"That's a mature way to take it," said Kate, drinking delicately with her little finger sticking out. She was looking skeptical. "All the same…"

"Excuse me," said Tyki smoothly. "I'm feeling a bit tired—I'm going to go ahead and return to the hotel. By the way, where's Bookman? He wasn't there the entire interview."

"He told me he was heading back early as well—he just showed up for the entrance and left after that," said Kate. "He wasn't feeling well."

"Really," said Tyki disinterestedly. "I'll go ahead and leave then—"

"I'll come with you," said Rei.

Tyki arched an eyebrow.

"Are you sure?" he said, and Rei could detect the slightest bits of mockery in his tone. "I thought you might want to stay for longer, you know—you seem to be in the limelight tonight."

"No," said Rei, "I'll leave as well."

"Well we can't all go disappearing at the same time," sighed Kate. "I'll stay, see what everyone else is up to—oh, looks like Kanda's getting quite the amount of attention…and so is Lenalee…hm. They must've noticed that they're not matching. Did they officially break up?"

"Yeah," said Allen, looking determinedly up at the ceiling.

"Really," said Kate. "Hm…" She snuck a glance in Rei's direction, catching her eye. "I wonder why…"

"Let's go, Tyki," said Rei, unwilling to stay in an atmosphere that could potentially make her situation any worse than it was already. "The car…"

Tyki took her by the shoulder wordlessly—a bit forcefully, she thought—and steered her through one of the side doors, walking down the halls quickly and quietly. His long strides were too much for her to keep up with—she had to almost run to keep up with his pace.

"Tyki," she began, her voice coming out as very strained.

"Not now," he said brusquely. "Wait until we get in the car."

Rei fell silent, her insides squirming uncomfortably as they descended the front stairs to the limo. She knew that his words from earlier, that he did not care about the kiss, were lies. And she knew that especially after he had opened that slight, subtle bit by telling her that he was "possessive" of her, almost saying that he needed her…he would not be pleasant.

He led her to the car, slipping onto the leather seats after her, and letting the valet close the door behind them.

"Where to, sir?" asked the chauffeur politely from the front.

"Just drive around," said Tyki. "I'll tell you when to get back to the hotel."

"Yes, sir."

Tyki pressed a small black button on the edge of the arm of the chair, rolling up the window that separated the front of the limousine from the back. Rei's skin prickled uncomfortably as they were left alone in silence, save for the quietly revving engine as it joined the streets of the Balearic Isles.

"Why don't you start," said Tyki quietly as he reached across from him for a shot glass, "with _why_ you thought it would be appropriate to kiss Bookman. A split second decision, most likely. A snide, petty way to get back at me for apparently sleeping with Kate—which you _know _I did before we started dating, if I did at all."

"I didn't…I don't know," she finished quietly, staring down at her hands. They were intertwined tightly on her lap, gripping the silken cloth of her dress, wrinkling it like skin.

"…Who kissed whom?" asked Tyki.

"…He did…the first time," she said, immediately regretting the latter part of her statement.

"…The _first_ time," said Tyki, and his voice was growing with lethal edge. "I see. And you kissed him how many times after that?"

"Once," she said quickly. "Just once."

"Right. So you kissed twice."

"…Yeah," she said, twisting her hands nervously. "Tyki, I'm sorry, I don't know—"

"And yet somehow Bookman told Kate about it, but you didn't tell me," he interrupted.

"Because you…you said all those things about not sharing and being possessive and I…I just couldn't tell you after that," she finished helplessly. "I…"

Tyki didn't answer her, instead letting the silence fall in between them. Rei nervously kept twisting the cloth of her dress in front of her, keeping her eyes fixated on her hands, her breathing shallow and her back rigid. She now knew what Tyki felt like when he said that he was being judged; she could feel Tyki's eyes on her, combing her face, her body, for any signs of…signs of what? Guilt, stains, contamination?

"Stop doing that," he said exasperatedly, his hands prying hers apart. "You're ruining the dress."

"Sorry," she muttered, letting him take her wrists into his. "I…I just…"

"Look at me."

Rei obeyed, haltingly, unwillingly, staring slowly into his penetrating eyes.

She wished she hadn't.

She could see the same golden shimmer in his irises, the same gleam like newly struck gold, but at the same time, a cloudy distrust, a…a sadistic desire, the same that she had felt from him in their magnetic attraction shoot out at the beach. She shuddered, a painful sensation squeezing her chest; she knew, just as well as he knew…that she had lost some of his trust, the trust that had taken her so long to uncover. Gone, in such a flash.

"I'm sorry," she said again weakly, and yet the words sounded stale even to her…but she didn't know what else to say, what other words of recovery she had to offer, any verbal hopes of redemption…

"You don't think I'll let it slide just because you said 'sorry,' do you?" he said, his voice low as he leaned closer to her. "The world doesn't work so easily, darling."

"I know," she said, almost wincing as she felt his breath grace her cheek.

"…Do you? Do you really?"

His lips brushed against her ear, moving slowly and gradually across her cheek to her smoky eyes, her blush-dusted cheeks, and then, avoiding her mouth, he continued down her chin, her neck, making her shiver as his hands began to caress her bare shoulders gently, lightly, like ghost touches of passing breezes. The gentleness, the smoothness…it all seemed…superficial.

And in a split second, everything about his atmosphere changed. Tyki grabbed her shoulders and slammed her down onto the leather seats, catching her by surprise. His lips met hers brutally as he laid his body completely over hers, one hand sliding under her neck as the other slipped to her thigh, gradually pulling up the dress, exposing her bare skin to the now terribly cold air.

Rei had now grown to realize that when it came to intimacy, Tyki had two sides, both of which he had just exhibited. A kind, tender side, the one that she had first seen when they'd kissed in the middle of nowhere, amidst the rain, the thunder, the wind, under a rock that served as their feeble shelter. And then there was this, the rough, brutal side, the cold and unfeeling touch that felt more like a punishment than anything else, and yet Rei could not pull herself away from this side of him, for she knew that it _was_ him, more so than his "white" side, his gentle side.

She also knew that his dark, cold side was triggered whenever he was angry, at her, at himself, at the World and all its Unfairness…and she was the trigger this time, the source of his frigid miasma…and there was nothing she could do except for wait it out.

So Rei did not resist. She relaxed her body—forced it to relax—and let Tyki do what he wanted, to somehow let him determine his own method of an acceptable apology out of her, something that she could not say verbally. He gripped her nape tightly and made her stay in place, forcing her lips open with his tongue and slipping inside her mouth, exploring deeply, brushing against her lips, her teeth, her tongue, dominating for what seemed like centuries. The hand at her leg inched lower, trailing almost all the way to her knee, before slipping up abruptly in that same nonchalantly smooth manner as before, his fingers dancing over her skin like a figure skater on ice.

Rei pulled away from his lips, gasping for air, yet she was not given even a full second for recovery; he found her mouth again and attacked it fiercely, his teeth holding her lower lip and pulling harshly, then letting her burning lips fall back in place with a soft plop. She breathed deeply in as he finally moved his mouth lower to her neck; she tried to calm down her erratic heartbeat, closing her eyes and focusing on clearing her mind of the unnecessary lust that was crawling up inside of her…

Tyki abruptly leaned back and flipped her over so that her back was facing him; one hand reached up to her side, under her arm, and found the zipper of her dress, tugging it down in a slow and agonizing motion. Rei pulled away, new revelations of fear entering her mind, but Tyki held her down, letting the dress fall and revealing her back. She felt his warm lips press against the base of her spine, then gradually work upwards; his hands slipped up under her body, grabbing at her torso and touching her chest through the thin silver silk.

"That's…enough," she said, breathing irregularly as he brought an arm over her chest, slinking it up her neck and forcing her back to arch.

"Hardly," he said softly, and his tone wasn't even fazed. "You're barely reacting…and I can go for much more."

Tyki's lips found their way to her nape, kissing it, then taking the skin in between his teeth, he sucked deeply, eliciting a surprised moan from her.

"That's much better," he murmured, pulling the dress down to her hips. "Now we can start for real…"

"No," she said, struggling to escape his grip. "No, that's enough; it's enough of a punishment—"

She managed pull out from under his weight, straightening up and hastily keeping her dress up at the same time.

Tyki pulled her back by the shoulder, pressing her against the wall of the car.

"Punishment?" he said with dark amusement. "You thought that was a _punishment_? No, sweet, what I could do to _punish_ you would be much worse than that…"

He found her lips again, his hand playing at her torso and touching where he liked, intrusively, violating. His skilled kisses winded her, his touch seduced her, and coupled on with the last minutes or hours or days of activities, she relented to him and reacted with unrestricted responses; her breaths and soft moans sounded through the stagnant air of the car, her limbs not draped around his neck but not resisting either; she simply let him have his way, allowing him to take over her.

But a voice—her conscience—knew better, nagging over her lust-drenched mind and poking a hole, a ray of light through the foggy thoughts that ran through her head. And she was above this. A punishment was a punishment, but there was not supposed to be any demeaning, any degradation on her part. As Tyki began to tug her dress even lower, Rei broke away from his kisses with an air of finality. Enough was enough.

She said nothing, did nothing except for pull away from him, zipping her dress back up and inching slightly to her left. Tyki, likewise, was silent.

Rei pressed the little black button on the arm of the chair, rolling down the window separating the front and back compartments of the car.

"Please return to the hotel," she told the driver.

"Yes, ma'am."

There was no sense of anger between the two of them, no fury, no indignation. There was only…discomfort, and a slight bit of remorse.

And, of course, stifling silence.

Rei looked out the window, watching the night lights of the highway pass by. She could see Tyki's reflection in the clear glass, watching her. Just her.

She could not read his eyes.

* * *

Tyki was going insane.

That was really the only logical explanation to everything that was screwing up his personality as of late. He was insane. Crazy. Clinically unstable.

A kiss. Two kisses. And that had set him off so much.

They were back in their hotel room. Rei was taking a shower, while Tyki was sitting on his bed, his shirt open, his jacket and tie thrown messily on the floor. He was absentmindedly watching the T.V., thinking instead deeply about what had just happened.

A rage kept crawling up in his chest every time he imagined Rei kissing Lavi. And then after that one particular image, successive images came piling into his head: Rei with Kanda, Walker, anyone else…he lied down on the mattress and covered his eyes with his arm. He was insane. That was it.

Rei hadn't meant anything about it. Tyki himself knew how passionless kisses could be, and knew that Bookman, especially, could be passionless when it came to physical intimacy. And he knew that Rei felt nothing—absolutely nothing—for Lavi. If anyone was a threat, it was Kanda, who was now conveniently single and probably had his eyes on Rei.

Two kisses, and he'd just snapped.

He wasn't sure if Rei was angry. He couldn't feel the customary fury that normally emanated from her when he went a little too far. Yet at the same time, the atmosphere wasn't pleasant or comfortable, like it normally was.

It felt like a long time since he'd felt the pleasant atmosphere between them.

Tyki couldn't make up his mind; did he _need_ Rei? Or was he just overly possessive of her? It'd been a while since he had a legitimate "girlfriend;" maybe he was just unaccustomed to having a woman that was…well, his?

He could not _need_ her so quickly. It'd hadn't even been a month since they'd started dating. He didn't need to rely on her already.

But all the same…even if their activities in the limo had just been for, as Rei would've called it, a "punishment," Tyki couldn't deny that it had felt good to touch her as he wanted, unrestrained and caring, just to do it because he felt like it. And he knew that he could probably not restrain himself much longer.

The door to the bathroom creaked open. Tyki sat up slowly, seeing Rei walk out of the steamy room and towards her bed. All her makeup had been washed off, her hair was now disheveled like it was usually, and now that she wasn't on high heels anymore, her stride was more suited to her profile, for she no longer seemed like she was tittering on the edge of a precipice. It struck him suddenly that perhaps he preferred her this way—unbeautiful, untidy…normal. She glanced briefly in his direction, gesturing at the bathroom, and tossed her thin silver dress on her bed.

"Come here," he said, beckoning to her.

He could see the apprehension flash across her features, disappearing quickly and smoothing back to her usual blank look. She walked hesitantly over to him, then sat down on the bed gingerly.

"I…" said Tyki, "Forgive me for my earlier actions. They were uncalled for and—"

"Why are you talking like that?" said Rei with a wry smirk. "Formally, that is."

"Fine then," he said, grateful for her lighter mood. "Sorry."

"…I'm fine with your apology…and I'm sorry for what happened before with Bookman—"

"I know," said Tyki quickly.

"But still," she said quietly, "I would like you to…not touch me for a while."

Tyki blinked.

"What?" he said, stupefied.

"I just need some time to reorganize my thoughts," she said softly. "I'm starting to get confused with what I…well, what I want from you. Physical touch? Emotional affection? I'm just…not sure anymore."

"…What are you talking about?"

"I don't know how to explain it," said Rei gently, slipping her hand into his. "Just…please…"

"…Are you saying that we should break up?" said Tyki coolly, sliding a finger up her neck.

"No! Goodness, no…it's just that I'd rather not do what we did in the car for a while," she answered.

"…You make that sound _so_ easy," said Tyki sardonically. "So what, I'm not even allowed to kiss my own girlfriend anymore?"

Rei sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning forward and meeting his lips softly, almost experimentally. He responded instantly, returning the kiss and slinking his arms around her waist, pulling her down onto the bed. They hit the mattress gently, their limbs intertwined, their lips never parting.

"No," she said, pulling away and sitting back up. "Not now."

"Why?" demanded Tyki, grabbing onto her wrist and forcing her to stay. "I don't see exactly what's making you act like this—"

"Please!" she said, pain etched across her face. "This is for me, Tyki, this is for me to clear up myself, to _understand_ you and this relationship—because I _need_ you, I need you just as much as you need me—"

"No, you're wrong," said Tyki coldly, sitting up with her as well. "I don't _need_ you, Rei, I _want_ you, but I don't need you—we haven't progressed that far yet, and at this rate, we're probably not going to get anywhere at all—"

"You're just lying to yourself," said Rei through gritted teeth, and Tyki could see the anger finally lighting in her eyes. "You do need me—you just refuse to admit it, refuse to act like you do. That's why you're always yearning for some physical touch—because all those shoddy relationships you had with your 'nightly appointments' were like that—just lust-driven one-night stands that you're _used_ to. I'm asking for this lack of touch because we both need it—we need it to define this relationship."

"No, you just need it," said Tyki icily. "You need it because you're scared."

"…You're right, I am," said Rei, getting off the bed and standing up. "But what I'm scared of isn't the contact itself—what I'm _scared_ of is becoming just another one your appointments, and that after you get what you want, you'll leave. Because you won't know what to do after that."

She ran a hand through her hair, looking down at him with an inscrutable expression.

"Sorry," she said, eyes closing. "Let's just leave it at that."

Tyki let out an incredulous scoff, standing up on the other side of the bed.

"You're really unbelievable," he said. "Fine, then, but I can say this safely Rei—you're mistaken. I _don't_ need you. Perhaps you need me—and that's great—but as of right now, this relationship is pretty much one-sided."

"Prove it then," she said, her eyes narrowing. "Ignore me. Ignore me for as long as you can, Tyki Mikk—let's just see how long it takes for you to crack."

"Oh? You're not scared I'll go find someone else to suit my needs?"

Rei pursed her lips; she obviously hadn't thought of it.

"I trust you enough not to," she said finally. "Goodnight."

She went to her bed and picked up the dress, taking a clothes hanger from the closet and hanging it up.

"Not going to Kate's tonight?" he said.

"Bookman's not feeling well; she's taking care of him. Besides, she texted me and said Satsuma lifted the restraining order because there wasn't much that the police could do about it. But you're supposed to be ignoring me, Tyki; you don't want to lose already, do you?"

"This petty game…you seriously want to go through with it?" he said wryly.

"Why not?" she said calmly, climbing into the covers. "I get what I want—a break—and you can just prove to yourself how much you _don't_ need me, according to you."

"And you're not afraid that you're going to come running back to me? Because evidently, you need me?"

"I'll deal with that when time comes," she replied. "Besides, I'm not as lust-driven as you. I enjoy your company, and that doesn't require any talking or touching. Just your presence."

She snapped the light shut, engulfing her side of the room in darkness. Tyki stayed where he was, staring at her back.

"Your trust is ill-placed, Rei," he said quietly. "I don't need you."

There was no reply. As expected. Or not?

Tyki could not help but feel that the only person he was trying to convince of his decision was himself.

* * *

"What the hell's going on between you and Mikk?" asked Lavi dryly the next morning over breakfast the moment Tyki left the room for a smoke.

The British model looked like he'd gone through the repercussions of illness; his face was a bit paler than normal and he had bags under his eyes—a sign of lack of sleep. Kate was fussing over him, straightening his clothes, patting him affectionately on his head.

"Nothing," replied Rei, dumping a pack of sugar into her coffee. "What makes you think something's wrong?"

She personally thought they were acting rather normal.

"Are you serious?" said Lavi blankly. "You two aren't talking. At all."

"Really?" said Rei thoughtfully. "I guess I hadn't noticed…there's not really much for us to say, I suppose."

"…If this is about that kiss—"

"It's not a big deal, Bookman," said Rei. "We're fine."

"You're obviously not, Rei," said Kate. "What's going on? You hardly said anything at all during breakfast—did you stay in the same room as him last night?"

"Yeah," said Rei with an uncharacteristic shrug. "It was quiet. And nice. I slept well."

She was aware that everyone at the table was looking at her in disbelief.

"What?" she said exasperatedly. "It's not a big deal."

"Not talking—at all," said Allen slowly, "is a pretty big deal."

"What did I say?" said Kanda with a trace of smugness as he stirred his coffee aimlessly. "Fight before the end of the night, eh?"

Rei's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"…You seemed awfully confident that we'd get in a fight," she said frostily. "Don't tell me you were the one to give Satsuma the picture."

"I'm not that petty," Kanda scoffed. "I just simply knew beforehand that she had the photo—I saw her spying on you. There wasn't anything I could do about it though."

"Bastard," hissed Rei under her breath. "You're a right asshole, Kanda."

Kanda shrugged off her insult. "It wasn't any of my business."

"I'm going," said Rei, standing up.

"Where to?" asked Allen.

"Just for a walk."

"I'm going too," said Kanda, standing up as well.

Rei looked at him, scandalized.

"Are you crazy?" she said. "No, I'm not going on a walk with you—you're insane."

"I meant going as 'leaving,' not going on a walk with you," said Kanda dryly. "Though your automatic assumption makes me curious as to—"

"Oh shut up," she snapped, turning around and leaving the room without another word.

Tyki was leaning against the wall, blowing out a breath of smoke. Rei mentally chastised him for smoking already this early in the morning, but simply glanced his way before continuing her way down the hall. Kanda's footsteps followed hers, and once they'd gotten out of Tyki's earshot, she rounded on him.

"What are you doing?" she said angrily. "Are you just trying to make trouble?"

"You and Mikk break up?" he asked loftily, ignoring her question.

"No," she said frigidly. "Much to your disappointment, I suppose."

Kanda sighed. "So you're fighting."

"Sorry to disappoint you again—no."

"When are you going to understand that you two aren't compatible, Rei?"

Rei stared at him.

"Since when did you call me by my first name?" she asked.

"Everyone else does—why is it such a big deal?"

"Because you're not supposed to."

"There aren't any rules saying I can't," he said deprecatingly. "Mikk's not good for you—"

"And you are, Kanda?" she said irritably. "This entire conversation is about, oh, four months too late? Forget it, Kanda, you're the last person I want to talk to about my relationship with Tyki."

"He doesn't need you," he said.

"And you do?"

There was a slight pause as Kanda's blue eyes combed her face searchingly.

"I thought so," she said coldly.

She turned to leave, only to feel Kanda take her by the wrist, preventing her departure.

"Listen, Rei," he said huskily, "you should know that you and Mikk aren't going to work out. Your personalities clash—your histories clash, and he's not safe for you to be around."

"Says the person who's almost gotten killed three times when I've been around," retorted Rei. "Kanda, you and I—we would've worked out maybe two months ago. We would've been fine and dandy. You told me that day after Tyki and my magnetic attraction shoot that you weren't going to bother me about this, and you just asked that I wouldn't be affectionate with him in front of you—well I haven't, and I'm not going to, so could you give it a rest? You're making me…you're just aggravating me, Kanda!"

"Because why?" he said, letting go of her wrist. "Because you know I'm right? Because you know that at this point, I _am _better for you?"

"Give it up," she said coldly, enunciating every syllable. "Tyki and my problems are none of your concern—stop butting in and trying to make things worse."

"Suit yourself," said Kanda with a smirk. "I'm not the only one who doesn't think you two will last though—Walker, Schrödlich, Lenalee—they all—"

At that moment, Tyki walked past them, potentially aiming for the staircase, but Rei had the vague suspicion that he had been listening in to most of their conversation. However, he didn't say anything about it; he just strode right by them, not sparing the barest of glances in Rei's direction.

Her heart convulsed painfully, and she looked away from him. Kanda studied the two of them, his azure eyes still staring after Tyki's profile as he disappeared down the stairs.

"…It's a bit obvious," he said quietly, "that there's something really wrong—"

"_Shut up_."

She hurriedly walked away, her hand massaging her temples. Why was she feeling hurt? She was the one who had suggested the temporary cold shoulder, but she hadn't meant it, really, just a lack of touch, of conversation…she hadn't realized how much it would hurt to be completely ignored though…she, at least, had looked into his eyes when she'd passed him…

Rei found herself on the balcony of her floor, overlooking the lobby of the hotel. Her jade eyes scanned the scene below her, flickering as Tyki's figure joined the unfolding play below her. And strangely enough, he looked up. Right in her direction.

And their eyes met.

He gave a twisted smirk and turned away. Rei tightened her grip on the wooden rails in front of her as she continued to stare at him.

What had the game been? To see who would cave in first? To see who needed whom the most?

She didn't want to lose. She already felt that her sense of need for Tyki trumped his need for her—or at least, his emotional need, not his physical desires. She didn't want it to be so one-sided.

But she didn't know what she wanted from him.

It seemed at this rate, she'd end up losing at her own game.

* * *

**Free Talk**:

Hey everyone! Sorry for the delayed update. It's been busy for me, and I'm truly sorry for not updating sooner. Thanks to everyone who updated the V-Day special, and I hope everyone had a lovely V-day. Even though I've been busy, I've gotten some good news: I got into a college that I would love to go to! :) The rest of my college results come back in two months or so, but for now, it's a refreshing feeling knowing that I'm going to go somewhere.

I'm unsure how much I like this chapter (what else is new, haha), and there might be a few people who seem OOC. Rei herself may not seem "normal," especially with what happened in the limo, but if there's one thing I should say about this chapter on this Free Talk, it's that Rei is greatly impacted by guilt. She changes a lot with her actions depending on how guilty she feels, and after she realized that Tyki needs her (even though Tyki adamantly denies this), the kiss with Lavi just made her feel even worse, and she didn't know how else to apologize.

The rest of my rambling will be on my LJ, because if I kept talking, it would take too much space. XD

Please review! That would be absolutely lovely. :) Have a great week~

xoxo,  
m.n


	32. Caller ID

**Chapter 31: Caller I.D. **

**

* * *

**

_And I know the mistakes that I made_  
_See it all disappear without a trace_  
_And they call as they beckon you on_  
_They said start as you mean to go on._

_--**Coldplay**. "A Rush of Blood to the Head."_

_

* * *

  
_

Tyki was feeling rather smug at the moment. It was painfully obvious how much Rei wanted him. Needed him. And that realization gave no little boost to his ego.

He strode through the lobby pointlessly, wondering what he was aiming to accomplish for the day. Cross hadn't said anything about progressing to the next arc of the photo shoot; Tyki surmised that the redheaded photographer had not quite thought through how to portray "desperation." The Portuguese model personally thought that Cross was actually having difficulty concentrating after seeing Klaud Nine with a rather handsome looking Italian man at the social gathering the day before, and was therefore sulking considerably. Cross was really much less mature than he made himself out to be.

Well, at this point, Tyki was too. Playing along with Rei, and what a stupid game it was at that. But regardless, he felt a desperate desire to win it. Rei _needed_ him. And he wanted to keep that realization one-sided.

Tyki shuffled off into the corner of the room, trying to find an area where he could smoke and not get reprimanded by a receptionist. His golden eyes flickered up to the balcony where he had seen Rei only seconds earlier, but she was no longer there. Good—he didn't her chastisement for smoking so constantly anyway.

Tyki was just about to light a cigarette when an older Asian man approached him, his expression stoic, reserved, and almost threatening. He came up to Tyki's shoulder and had slight stubble scattered across his chin; he was decent-looking at best for someone his age.

"…You would be Tyki Mikk," the man said, his English slightly accented in the expected Asian lilt.

"So I would," said Tyki, a bit taken back. "May I…er, help you?"

"…You would know Matsumomo Rei."

The way the man said Rei's name displayed fluency…he was evidently Japanese.

"So I do," said Tyki, now growing a bit wary. "Do you…need something with her?"

"…Are you two dating?"

"Yes?" said Tyki, taking a step back. Though he was taller than the new arrival by a good bit, Tyki could not help but feel a bit intimidated.

"Was that a question or an answer?" said the stranger gruffly.

"An answer…"

"I see."

It had been a while since Tyki had left the Mafia, but sudden movements, disappearances, and fluidity when it came to limbs never escaped his gleaming eyes unnoticed, and this time was no exception. The Japanese man moved his arm forward deftly, with a speed that could only be achieved on a professional level. Tyki twisted his body instinctively to the side, letting the arm pass by him barely; he then stretched out and caught his assailant's wrist easily, his grip vice-like. To his great surprise, however, the stranger twisted his hand around so that he was gripping onto Tyki's wrist equally strongly, pressing heavily down over his pulse. Tyki jerked back, alarmed—he was in a disadvantageous position—but found that he was unable to tug his wrist out of its cage.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a smaller, familiar hand to Tyki forcefully snatched the intertwined arms apart, and a profile stepped in between Tyki and the stranger.

It was Rei. Of course. But her attention was not turned to Tyki, as he thought it should've been. She was more interested in the man right in front of her, the Asian man who was currently frowning at her in a very…protective way…

"I thought it was you," she said, sounding stunned as she looked into the stranger's eyes. "I saw you up on the balcony…Otou-san, what the hell are you doing here?!"

"Since when did you speak to me in English?" he answered sternly.

"I…"

"Who are you?" asked Tyki, his question directed to the man while reflexively pulling Rei back by the shoulder.

She shrugged off his touch, obviously unalarmed with the presence of the stranger. She didn't answer his question.

Ah. So the little girl was being equally immature.

The stranger stepped in and answered for her, nodding briefly at Tyki in greeting.

"Matsumomo Eiji," he said gruffly. "I'm Rei's father."

* * *

Rei didn't wait to see what Tyki's reaction would be to meeting her father. Turn to stone, most likely. Knowing Tyki, he probably thought that a relationship without parents in the picture would be idyllic; no "stay away from my daughter," no "no sex," no regulations at all. But the sight of seeing her father—here, in Spain, in the middle of absolutely _nowhere_—it shocked, stunned, and most importantly, _infuriated_ Rei.

"What in the world are you doing here?" said Rei evenly in Japanese, her green eyes staring into her father's dark brown ones. "In Spain! I thought you were in Hokkaido!"

"What made you think that?" asked Eiji. "I clearly said that I just wasn't in Tokyo—"

"I could hear the accents in the background of your phone call," snapped Rei. "Those were definitely Kansai accents—you can't just be _here_—"

"What?" he said. "I can't even visit my own daughter?"

"You abandoned me," she said lividly. "You _left_, without a word, note, money, anything! The reason _I'm_ here in showbiz, in _SPAIN_, is all because of you! And to not even tell me _anything_—you think you can just come and visit?!"

"You make it seem like you dislike being in this kind of world," said Eiji defensively, looking around his surroundings. "You seem to be doing well…" His eyes flickered to Tyki, who was still standing behind Rei. "And I suppose this man behind you adds no little satisfaction."

"Don't even bring him in the conversation," said Rei coldly. "He doesn't concern you."

"If he's dating my own daughter, I daresay I'd have the right to concern myself with him—though from what the tabloids say, I already disapprove—"

"No," she said furiously. "You aren't going to step one foot into my life right now until you tell me exactly what's been going on, what you've been doing—"

"I wouldn't want to step into your life right now, Matsumomo Rei," said Eiji severely. "Exactly what have you become? A model? How shameful."

"Shameful?! I just did what I could to get by!"

"Yes," snorted Eiji, "becoming Japan's most famous model's bodyguard, of all people, and then acquiring a nonsensical job as to sell your _looks _to the public definitely seems to be the best course of action for a seventeen year old girl."

Rei opened her mouth to retort, but Tyki pulled her back behind him and intervened.

"You can't just say you're her dad and start speaking in a language I can't understand," said Tyki coolly. "You've missed out on too much of her life to just expect to be let back in—"

"I'd heard that you were arrogant, but to interfere in matters that out of your concern is over the top," said Eiji dryly. "Listen here, young man, just because you are in this superficial relationship doesn't mean—"

"What is going on between Tyki and me is none of your concern either," said Rei. "Where have you been? Why are you here now?"

Eiji heaved a sigh and ran a hand through his graying hair.

"It's true, I've been in Hokkaido," he said seriously, "on business."

"What business?" said Rei, her eyes narrowing.

Eiji paused.

"You don't need to know," he answered finally. "I'm here now—one, to check on you. Two…for work."

"Whose work?" she demanded.

"…I'm here on behalf of the Noah Family."

Rei's eyes widened as she stared at her father incredulously.

"…What?"

"My family?" said Tyki skeptically. "How are you possibly associated with them? There's no need for us to have any foreign bodyguards—the Mafia is more than enough—"

"I was asked by Cyril Kamelot to do…some business for him about nine months ago," said Eiji calmly, deliberately ignoring Tyki.

"And you couldn't tell me about it?" Rei said coldly.

"It was classified information, Rei."

"You couldn't leave a note?"

Eiji didn't answer.

"You couldn't leave _money_?" she continued with threatening anger.

"I wasn't paid until after—"

"That's not the point!" she said aggravatingly. "I…I just don't _understand_—you're leaving too many parts out—why did the Noah family find _you_?! You're retired! You're just an old bodyguard who's just…just _there_! I don't get why they had to get _you—_they're royalty!"

"…I have long been affiliated with the Portuguese royal family, Rei," said Eiji gravely. "Your mother was one of their top bodyguards during her prime…they asked me for a few favors and I was only happy to oblige—"

"By abandoning your daughter?!"

"How long do you say this has been going on?" said Tyki quietly, surveying Eiji with distaste.

"…Approximately nine months."

Tyki's eyes narrowed.

"I've been with my family up to about three months ago—are you saying that you've been in Japan the entire six months prior to my departure?"

"I arrived in Portugal about a month ago," said Eiji serenely. "For…business."

"And you're here now…" said Tyki slowly, "for 'business' again."

"Correct."

"Doing what?" said Rei.

"I'm here as…Satsuma Aiko's personal bodyguard. And to see you," he added almost as an afterthought.

Rei stared at him. In her heels, she realized that she was almost as tall as her father, whom she had looked up to her entire life…but with each word he was saying, she thought she couldn't recognize him anymore. The respect that she had gained from him, over the course of the last seventeen years, began to trickle slowly out of her system. First the abandonment, the lack of notice, then the unannounced return, and _now_…

"Isn't one of the fundamental rules of being a bodyguard 'always respect your employer?'" Rei asked in a terribly controlled tone.

"I do not find Satsuma Aiko to be the most intelligent young lady," admitted Eiji. "But my employer is strictly the Noah Family, and it is just on their orders that I guard Satsuma-san. My primary purpose of coming to this island was to speak to you…and to remind you exactly who you are."

"I know exactly who I am, thank you," she answered testily. "I think you need to ask _yourself_ that question, for that matter—are you really Matsumomo Eiji? A _respectable_ bodyguard? A _smart_ man? _My_ dad?"

"The same can be said for you," he replied. "Are you Matsumomo Rei? A bodyguard? Or a senseless model? The daughter I raised? Or…" His brown eyes flickered over to Tyki again. "Are you just something that this young man has fashioned you out to be?"

"I don't _make_ Rei be anything," said Tyki evenly. "That's all her choice, believe me—she's a bit headstrong, if you don't remember, and I normally can't get her to do anything I want her to—"

"I'm a bodyguard at heart," Rei interrupted, glaring at Eiji. "Just because I'm…_modeling_ now doesn't mean that I'm no longer what I was raised to be."

"Are you really?" Eiji said loftily. "Then…" He thrust his fist out, bringing his hand to the right side of her body in one swift motion, catching her off guard. Rei had no time to react; instead, it was Tyki who caught the fist and held it inches away from her neck.

"Attacking your own daughter?" said Tyki icily, letting go of Eiji's wrist. "You're not really sophisticated when it comes to the whole introductions thing, are you?"

"It's not like I would've actually hurt her," said Eiji simply. "It seems like the young man is better than you when it comes to reactions, Rei. You've rusted."

The sound of a cell phone vibration interrupted the conversation, much to Rei's relief. The realization that she actually _had_ rusted—she could not see her father's movements at all—hit her like a freight train, and it was only after she took a deep breath in did she notice that she had actually been holding it.

Eiji answered the phone with a curt "Hello" before lapsing into silence. Rei did not listen to his conversation; all she was aware of was Tyki's warm arm protectively wrapped around her waist, the indistinct muttering coming out of her father's mouth, the quickly beating heart that pumped furiously under her skin…

"It seems that I have some babysitting to take care of," sighed Eiji as he hung up. "I'll speak with you later, Rei—there's much we need to discuss." He glanced down at the arm wrapped around Rei's waist. "Young man—"

"It's Tyki," said Tyki frostily. "I can't help but think you're being condescending when you address me that way."

"Well, technically, you're my employer so it's rude to call you by your name," said Eiji wryly. "Very well then, _Mr. Mikk_, kindly unhand my daughter. It'd be best if you got this superficial relationship out and over with—I don't find your reputation to be the best thing to hear, especially when you happen to be _dating_ my only child."

Surprisingly enough, Tyki let go of Rei, much to her disappointment. The warmth escaped her body, and only after it was gone did Rei notice how much she'd relied on it. The air around her simply grew much colder than it was before.

"If you want me to stay away from Rei for a while," said Tyki, sliding his hands into his pockets, "I'm fine with that. However, do not ask anymore than that."

"Staying away from you means moving _out_ of your room," said Eiji in an equally disgusted tone. "To think that you'd grow so wild, Rei, after my departure is surprising."

"We haven't done anything," she said chillingly. "And it's _none_ of your business regarding my relationship—"

"I'm your father," said Eiji sternly.

"A bad one, at that," she snapped. "_I_ will stay away from Tyki when _I_ want to—I don't need interference from you."

"You've gotten sharp-tongued, Rei," said Eiji.

Tyki scoffed. "She's been that cheeky for a while. Not that you'd notice, considering that you'd disappeared out of her life for a while."

"And it seems that your…acquaintance is equally as rude," said Eiji with another sigh. "Perhaps we need to revisit the fundamental basics of your childhood, Rei. Unfortunately, work calls. I'll contact you later, Rei, and you, Mr. Mikk," he said with tints of sarcasm, "shall stay away from my daughter whether you or she likes it or not."

"By all means," said Tyki mockingly. "After all…" He bent down by Rei's ear, his breath tickling her skin as he whispered, "the game's still on."

* * *

Eiji let out an annoyed breath as his phone rang yet again. He glanced down at the caller—Satsuma Aiko—and silenced the phone. He was going to take his time getting to her room; she was not the most amicable person to be around.

He climbed the stairs slowly, reaching for the handle of the third floor door when it opened by itself. A tall, attractive young male brushed past him, his deep blue eyes narrowed and cold. Eiji knew who this was.

Kanda Yuu.

His hand slipped to the Swiss knife tucked under his belt—one movement, and one large obstacle in his job would be eliminated…but it would be messy, and would surely lead to complications. Nor had he been ordered to kill the boy quite yet.

Kanda recognized him. Unsurprising. His entire body stiffened as Eiji passed him, and he whirled around. Eiji continued walking, faking nonchalance…but there was a mutual understanding that each had recognized the other.

The boy was sharp, at least. Eiji had half expected him to have lapsed into the false sense of security that being famous usually gave people…it was strangely relieving to see that the boy was still alert and wary of his surroundings.

Eiji gave a shrug. It would happen sooner or later. All in due time.

* * *

Kanda reached for his phone the moment the encounter passed. What the hell was _that_ man doing here? In Spain? In the Balearic Isles? In _this_ hotel? Was it all coincidence? Or was Kanda just going insane?

But Kanda knew it was him. He'd seen him in the dark underground offices more than once, passing by, passing through…but Kanda thought that he'd retired. He'd retired a long time ago. Disappeared, ever since the change in power.

Kanda looked down at his phone, scrolling through the contacts. Reever. Well, he was an idiot, and didn't know anything about the yakuza. Tiedoll. He was halfway across the world; that'd be useless. Lenalee. Well, they'd broken up, she was getting along fine with the moyashi, and it wasn't like Kanda could run to her for help. She was better off not knowing about what was going on. Bookman, Mikk…hell, no. And of course, that left…Rei. Wow, his list of contacts was sadly short.

He couldn't bother Rei about it. It seemed that she had more than enough on her plate—useless fodder though it was—and she did not seem to be the healthiest in terms of mental stability as of late…Kanda let out a sigh. She was too volatile sometimes. It was high time that she realized how bad of an influence Mikk was…though at this rate, Kanda wasn't much better. Not when one of his old lackeys was in the same hotel as him, and most likely out to kill.

There seemed to be one last contact. Takashi Hiro. The useless moron. Well, he was better than nothing.

The phone rang four times before someone picked up.

"Pick up faster, idiot," said Kanda sourly. "That took way too long—"

"Well sorry, kiddo," said Kate Schrödlich's voice tartly on the other end. "You hardly ever call me, and I was working out, so sorry for failing to come at your beck and call. Damn, no wonder Rei had such an awful time working for you, especially when you're _that_ pushy—"

"I say one sentence and you return with three," said Kanda dryly, internally groaning as he heard the German woman's voice. He must've overlooked her name as well. "My bad, I thought I was calling my bodyguard."

"Rei?" said Kate. "She's not your bodyguard anymore—though if you want to talk to her, she's right here with me. We're working out together. Hey, Rei, Kanda wants to talk to you—"

"No," said Kanda hastily, "I didn't mean to call her—"

"Hello?" said Rei dully.

"I didn't need to talk to you," said Kanda with a sigh, frustrated with the lack of communication that Kate always represented. "I meant to talk to Takashi—"

"You actually need a bodyguard?" said Rei with a small tinge of surprise. "Wow, that's a first. Something wrong?"

"No, I just needed to talk to him," replied Kanda. "I didn't need anything—I'm hanging up now."

"Hey…" said Rei slowly. "Can I ask you for a favor?"

"…What?" said Kanda warily. "If this is something stupid—"

"It's not," said Rei quickly. "I was just wondering if you could…keep an eye on Tyki…not like _stalk_ him, but just keep small tabs on him, make sure nothing happens to him…"

"And why would something happen?" said Kanda suspiciously.

Rei hesitated slightly.

"My dad's back," she said in a low voice. "I saw him in the lobby, and he's not happy. And when he's not happy…well, he's just not happy…and I'm a bit worried that he's going to let it out on Tyki."

"Why?" said Kanda. "Because you're dating him?"

"Yeah…"

Kanda snorted. "Your dad can't be that petty."

"Just watch Tyki a bit, would you?" said Rei, annoyed. "Make sure he's not doing anything stupid."

"And why can't you just keep tabs on him?" said Kanda, equally irritated. "Oh wait, you're in the middle of a childish fight—"

"Tyki is being equally immature," said Rei through gritted teeth. "And since I can't outwardly show that I'm caring about him, I have to do it in an overtly secret way—"

"Get Schrödlich to stalk him," said Kanda.

"She hates him."

"So do I. Get Bookman."

"He's sick."

"Get Walker. Or Lenalee."

"They hate him too."

"Wow," said Kanda wryly, "it seems that Mikk's not very well-liked, is he?"

"Kanda," groaned Rei. "Please. Just do it."

"I don't understand why your own dad is such a big threat."

"Gee, I don't either," said Rei sarcastically. "He just happens to be a Japanese man with samurai descent, bodyguard history, who's constantly armed with knives and guns and is probably related to the yakuza or something—"

The random statement about the yakuza made Kanda stop in his tracks.

"Rei," he said swiftly, "what's your dad's name?"

"Matsumomo Eiji," said Rei, concern lining her voice. "Why?"

The name didn't ring a bell, but it wasn't that surprising. Most people used nicknames or aliases when they were associated with darker associates.

"Was there ever a time…" said Kanda, choosing his words carefully, "when your dad disappeared to…Yokohama, say, for maybe…a month? About…eight? Nine years ago?"

There was a pause on the other side of the line. Kanda gritted his teeth, already knowing the answer.

"And this series of questions will eventually lead to what?" said Rei. "How would you know?"

"Where are you right now?" said Kanda, stepping down the stairs swiftly. "Still the workout room?"

"Yeah," said Rei. "I'm with Kate."

"Stay there."

"Just tell me what's going on," said Rei with a sigh. "I'm tired of this constant intensity—I'm having problems with Tyki—"

"Good to know you finally admit it," snorted Kanda, jumping over a rail and landing on the first floor.

"—and now my dad comes back, and now you're getting panicky about something I evidently don't know about—"

"I'm not panicky," said Kanda shortly. "And it might not be a big deal—I don't know if we're talking about the same person."

"We obviously are, if you can tell me a month-long trip that my dad made eight years ago," she replied. "What are you on to?"

"I think…" he said quietly, opening the door to the first floor and making his way in the direction of the exercising room, "that you're right about your dad actually being part of the yakuza. I left the yakuza when I was eleven…and there was an entire on-scale search to find me. I just passed by a man in the hotel staircase who I recognized to be one of the guys who chased me back then—I just realized that he was probably your dad."

"Please," said Rei with a slight scoff. "It was a joke about him actually being in the yakuza. I highly doubt that."

"Do you really?"

"People go to Yokohama all the time—we only lived like an hour away—"

"Now you're just shooting your own skepticism in the foot," he said dryly, finally arriving at his destination and hanging up.

He opened the door to the room and entered. Kate was on a treadmill, dressed in a green tank top and white shorts as she ran on the quickly moving belt under her feet, every step rhythmic to the music apparently playing in her ears through her iPod. Rei was standing in the corner, a confused expression on her face as she stared at her phone.

"You think my dad was part of the yakuza?" said Rei disbelievingly, turning around to face him. Like Kate, she was dressed to work out. "You think he's out to kill you?"

"Kill me, probably not," he answered. "I'd be…careful around him though."

"He's my dad," said Rei defensively. "Angry though I am at him, there's no reason for me to be wary around him—"

"Which is why you asked me to keep an eye on Mikk because of him?" said Kanda skeptically. "I don't believe that. You're just as cautious of your dad as I am—"

"I'm worried about Tyki because fathers are typically protective of their daughters," said Rei. "I don't believe that my dad would actually physically _hurt_ Tyki—I'm just worried that Tyki will be stupid ad something might happen."

Kanda heaved a sigh and shrugged his shoulders.

"Suit yourself," said Kanda. "I'm not keeping an eye on Mikk—at this point, I have more reason to protect myself than to protect him. Don't blame me for being wary around your father."

"Just watch Tyki a bit, could you?" said Rei desperately. "I can't be around him that much—just make sure he doesn't go out and get hurt—"

"Mikk's a grown man," said Kanda deprecatingly. "I'm pretty sure he'll be fine by himself."

"Kanda—"

"Fine," he groaned. "I'll let you know. Go back to working out."

"Thanks," she said, looking considerably more relieved. "Er…just call me, okay? If anything happens?"

Kanda nodded, preparing to leave. "Yeah. Keep your phone on…and let me know if anything happens on your part as well. Because at this rate, it doesn't really seem like Mikk's going to be there for you."

* * *

"Cyril," said Tyki on the phone without preamble as he hid out in a staircase, smoking. "Do tell me when you hired Rei's father…though I probably should've picked up on it sooner—that's what you meant about having the set…"

"So now you decide to call?" said Cyril, sniffing affectedly whilst evading Tyki's point. "It's been a while, and you haven't contacted your family in so long, and when you do, you're angry."

"Obviously," said Tyki sardonically. "As of right now, with you sending people out to kidnap Rei and kill Kanda, arranging a fiancée for me, and hiring Rei's dad to come and kill us all—"

"He's not out to kill you," said Cyril exasperatedly. "He's just there to guard your fiancée."

"Well I'm obviously not happy," said Tyki, letting out a puff of smoke. "Why do I not believe that the sole reason you send Eiji Matsumomo over here was to guard Satsuma? And why the _hell_ did you choose her—she's a complete idiot."

"I wasn't under the impression that she was terribly intelligent either," admitted Cyril. "But she does offer a lot of money behind that name of hers, as well as some more Japanese connections…which are nice to have, of course. We're still waging our long, drawn out war against the yakuza there."

"Why does it matter?" groaned Tyki. "Could you just leave us—and by 'us,' I mean Rei, Bookman, Schrödlich, and the rest of the modeling group—out of this? There's a reason I left the Mafia, you know."

"You left the Mafia on our urging," he answered pointedly. "You had to be safe, after all."

"Cyril, seriously. Tell me what's going on."

"Ach, all in due time, dearest brother," said Cyril jubilantly. "In the mean time, why don't you return to Spain soon? Road's been dying to see you."

"Stop avoiding the topic," said Tyki, taking in a deep breath of the smoke-filled air. "Besides, I can't return now—we're not done shooting."

"Your pictures aren't going to be good anyway, so what's the point of continuing?"

"What do you mean?" said Tyki, his eyes narrowing. "You haven't even seen them."

"Please, Tyki. Your partner is Rei Matsumomo. She's a _bodyguard_, not a model. It's not going to be good."

"She's not bad."

"Nor is she suited for the job," continued Cyril. "The girl's a natural bodyguard—not exceptionally pretty, nor exceptionally talented at selling her looks. She belongs in a physically intense environment…"

"Rei is fine where she is," said Tyki evenly. "I _like_ her as a model—"

"Ah, but that's where the problem is?" said Cyril. "Does _she_ like herself as a model?"

Tyki paused for a second, letting the words sink in.

"What do you mean?" he said. "I would imagine that she does—why would she be modeling if she hated it?"

"Maybe she doesn't realize she hates it. Or maybe she is under the delusion that she enjoys it because you're there, and she feels some sort of emotion for you," said Cyril mechanically, as if he were an experienced psychologist who often dealt with love-struck patients. "How do you know she's _happy_ doing something she's not naturally good at?"

Tyki didn't answer. This was a topic he thought he'd gotten rid of long ago—ever since Rei had started dating him, Tyki hadn't thought much of it. It was like by choosing him, she had forgotten about being a bodyguard…and Tyki was absolutely fine with that. Because being a bodyguard reminded Tyki of the times that Rei had been with Kanda…

"So," said Cyril, "I also sent Eiji over there to…you know, convince his daughter to embrace her inner personality…to become someone she wishes to be, not the someone _you've _made her."

"What are you planning?" said Tyki, resting his head on his hand. "Why is the Matsumomo family so important?"

"They are…useful," said Cyril vaguely. "Especially in our little games…"

"She's not a pawn," said Tyki lethally. "Don't—"

"I won't hurt her, of course not!" said Cyril, sounding genuinely offended. "After all, it seems like you've grown quite attached to her, Tyki—and I must _highly_ warn you against that—Rei's not good for you—but I won't do anything to hurt her! She's very important."

"But _why_?"

"Because she's Eiji's daughter. And well…I would say because she's your girlfriend as well, Tyki, but seriously," said Cyril, his tone growing more solemn, "I advise you not to continue this relationship with Rei any longer. For fun was fine, for a while, but you seem to be getting too attached to her…and she is not the best match for you."

Tyki refrained from saying that Rei was probably the best thing that had happened to him in quite a while, but the words sounded too cheesy to actually say aloud, so he didn't say anything at all.

"She won't disappear though—of course not," said Cyril. "But in the romantic sense…she should disappear…"

"This is a subject I'd rather not talk to you about," said Tyki. "You can rest assured, however, that I'm not just going to _sit_ here as you try and make Rei turn back into something she's not—"

"But that's not for you to decide, is it?" said Cyril. "Rei's the one who will have to see what side of her she likes best…and if she'll change for better or worse."

* * *

Kate got off the treadmill, stretching her limbs in her cool-down routine just as her cell phone rang. She bent down to her sports bag, pulling it out and looking at the caller, hoping it was Lavi. The Brit hadn't been feeling all that well for the last few days—given the intensely paced events of the last week, Kate wasn't really surprised—and she'd been working on nurturing him back to health.

The caller, however, was a surprising one. Mikk.

Strange. She'd gotten calls from two men affiliated with Rei in one day, when Rei was working on the elliptical right next to Kate. The European model shrugged, motioning to Rei that she was going outside for a phone call. Rei nodded, looking somewhat distracted as she simply stared off into space, thinking hard about something.

"Hello?" said Kate into the receiver. "This Mikk?"

"Yeah," said the familiar Portuguese lilt of a voice on the other end. "I got a favor to ask of you."

"Well…depends on what it is," said Kate.

"Rei and I are currently not speaking to each other," Tyki said. "We aren't _angry_ at each other—we just aren't speaking to each other."

"That sounds…rather angry," said Kate dubiously.

"It's a rather long story, and I'd rather not explain," said Tyki. "All the same, I don't know if you've heard, but her father is currently in this hotel."

"The one who disappeared on her?" she said for clarification. "Yeah, I think I overheard Rei and Kanda talking about it—I couldn't really hear through my iPod though—"

"Kanda knows already?" said Tyki, his tone surprised.

"Yeah, he dropped by to talk to Rei about it," said Kate indifferently. "Hurry up and spill what you want, Mikk, unless you want to talk to Rei yourself."

"No," said Tyki. "I don't. I just want you to keep an eye out on Rei, make sure she's not doing anything stupid."

"Why?" said Kate, confused. "Just keep an eye on her yourself—that doesn't require any talking."

"Complicated reasons prevent me from doing so," said Tyki coolly. "Just make sure she doesn't get into trouble, all right? And try to keep her away from her father."

"I don't even _know_ her father—I can't just be like 'Hey, step away from your daughter—'"

"Just try," said Tyki irritably. "I have a lot on my hands, and it'll ease my conscience up a bit if I know that Rei's relatively safe—"

"No father in his right mind would try to hurt his own child—"

"Just do it, Kate."

"Fine," said Kate snappishly. "I will, but only because I'm concerned about Rei. Oh, and just a reference in the future, don't be so damn pushy about things when you're asking for a favor."

"Thanks," said Tyki curtly. "I'll keep that in mind. I gotta go."

"Hey, just clear things up with Rei soon, would you? You two are just damn moody today."

"Tell that to yourself the next time you and Bookman have a fight," he scoffed. "I couldn't stand _either_ of you that _entire_ week."

"Shut up."

"Whatever. I'll see you later."

Without even a 'bye,' Tyki hung up, leaving Kate to hear the drone of a disconnected line. She rolled her eyes and hung up as well. Rei seriously needed to give her man a talking to. This entire mutual cold shoulder was getting a bit out of hand.

* * *

Rei stood impatiently in an empty work out room, waiting. For her father, of course.

She had not bothered to tell anyone else. It was pointless—besides, Kate had been keeping an eye on Rei all throughout the day, and the Japanese girl was dying for some time alone. She could not shrug off the feeling that someone had told Kate to watch Rei…more like stalk her. She hadn't even had twenty minutes alone in her room before Tyki had come back from a walk, looking rather bad-tempered. Rei had not stayed in the room long after that.

Rei's father had called late in the afternoon. The conversation had been short-lived. All he had asked her to do was meet her in one of the spare exercising rooms—one with gymnastic mats—at seven thirty. For "rudimentary training." Figured. Even she was feeling weak—her earlier workout session with Kate had been much shorter than they normally had been before…and she was already feeling tired and sore.

The door opened. In walked Matsumomo Eiji, looking stern and serious. Very atypical to how she remembered him…Rei realized that ever since they'd met again, she had not seen him smile once. He seemed like a different person.

Perhaps he was a different person. Perhaps the man she had known as her father—who had raised her—was not even real. After all, hadn't Kanda said that Eiji was part of the yakuza? Though Rei could not find that easy to believe…it just didn't seem to be in Eiji's nature.

"Good thing you came," said Eiji, approaching her. "I'd thought you'd run away."

Rei didn't answer, simply dusting her hands on her shorts as she surveyed her father.

"Not wearing those appalling shoes any longer, mm?" said Eiji. "Much more comfortable, isn't it?"

"What are you going on about?" said Rei, frowning. "If you're here just to tell me how awful it is that I am became model, then you're wasting your time. I'm fine with being a model—"

"Are you really?" said Eiji. "You don't regret being something that has nothing to do with physical exertion?"

"Models are very physically challenged," she said. "It's not so easy as you think it is—"

Eiji struck out, his fist whizzing straight past Rei's ear. She froze to the spot, unable to retaliate.

"Six months ago, you could've caught that and retaliated easily," said Eiji. "You've become adequate at both professions, Rei. A mediocre model. A mediocre bodyguard. You're fine with that?"

Rei didn't reply. She just stared at her father's dark eyes, unable to think, unable to comprehend what he was throwing at her. All she was aware of was the blood rushing to her head, the sudden burst of energy that had entered her system, the movements that were flashing through her eyes; offense, defensive, twists and turns…images that she had not seen in so long…

Eiji cracked a brief smile as he studied her expression.

"It seems that you've regained a bit of that former passion," he remarked, taking a step back. "Then, let us begin."

He charged forward, his fists outstretched in a typical judo-like fashion. Rei took a step back, leaning to her right and bringing her hand up to block his attack. Every punch, block, kick, block…pressing forward, losing ground…it was unbearably…easy…she could feel every muscle in her body contract and relax according to her will, shooting straight out with force or angling in a proper way to block…

Ah.

So this was what it was like.

It was like she'd almost forgotten.

So this was what it was like to have fun.

* * *

**Free Talk:**

Heyyyy. Sorry it's been so long. I've been busy, and haven't been able to get around typing much. :( Sorry again, and hopefully my updates will start getting back into their normal weekly states...:O Thank you all for your reviews last chapter. : ) Oh, and if you can, please log in to review, especially if you ask a question. :) It's easier to reply that way. But anonymous reviews are fine too~ I just hate not being able to reply and say thank you!

I'm sorry that I say this every time, but I didn't like this chapter all that much, I guess. I'm at one of those transition stages...and it's just a time for Rei to find herself, which might come off as a bit boring. This marks probably the little-past-halfway point for this fic, and I've got the ending planned out and everything...I just don't know how to quite get there, haha.

Um...I might upload an edited version tomorrow, but this is just it for tonight. :) LJ talk will be up tomorrow sometime--I'm a bit tired tonight. Sorry if I sound sorta dull...I guess I'm just a bit exhausted.

Review please? :) That'd be nice. Thanks everyone~ And sorry for the rather uneventful update. In retribution...is a teaser all right?

_"I quit. I'm not going to model anymore." --Rei _

Review~~

xoxo,

m.n


	33. Confessions

**Chapter 32: Confessions **

**

* * *

**_"My heart is yours  
it's you I hold on to  
__that's what I do." _

_**--Coldplay. **"Sparks"_

_

* * *

_

Rei lied on the dirty mat of the now empty workout room, breathing deeply in and out as she simply cleared her head. Her shoulder throbbed painfully; Eiji had managed to punch her shoulder rather brutally—on accident, it seemed, for he had apologized afterward—but Rei almost didn't mind. It felt…good to be tired, to be physically exhausted instead of mentally weary, because that's how she felt most of the time as of late…

Of course, she had lost her little match with Eiji. She had slipped up too many times, reacted too slowly, even tripped once. But it didn't matter. It felt good.

Eiji had left to take care of Satsuma again, but Rei could see that he had been pleased with her return to "normalcy." In a way, so was Rei. She didn't feel like she was suffocating…

The door creaked open, and Rei sat up to see who had just entered.

"It smells awful in here," said Kanda's disapproving voice from the doorway.

"Sweat, toil, and work," was Rei's reply as he approached. "Nothing you're used to."

"I do work, thank you."

"Sweat?" she said.

"Sometimes," he replied curtly. "Here."

Rei felt something cool knock against her forehead. She looked up and grabbed the ice-cold water bottle from Kanda's outstretched hand, unscrewing the cap in one fluid motion and immediately drinking.

"Thanks," she said appreciatively once she'd regained her breath from chugging down half the bottle. "What are you here for? Surely not to just give me a water…"

"Don't you want to know how Mikk's doing?" he said sardonically.

"No," said Rei. "I just wanted you to tell me if something's wrong—if everything's fine, there's no need to tell me."

"He's making out with another girl," said Kanda lightly.

Rei arched an eyebrow.

"Really," she said disbelievingly.

"No," sighed Kanda, sitting down beside her. "Ugh, this place is disgusting."

"It's just a workout mat," said Rei deprecatingly. "Germaphobe."

"Seriously, just imagine how much bacteria is on this thing," said Kanda, shifting his weight gingerly so that he was leaning against the wall. "So you're already on that degree of 'trust' with Mikk? To the point where I can say that he's screwing someone else and you won't believe me?"

"I might've believed Bookman if he'd told me," said Rei, tossing her water up and down, "but you're a terrible liar."

"What do you mean, I'm a terrible liar?" said Kanda dryly. "Whenever I lied to Lenalee, she never noticed."

"She probably did," answered Rei. "She just decided to humor your small intelligence and act like she believed you. What were you lying to her about anyway?"

"Us," said Kanda with raised eyebrows, as if it were obvious.

Rei stared at him for a few brief seconds, sensing that the atmosphere had suddenly grown denser and less comfortable than it had initially been.

"Thanks for the water," she said, deciding to leave before the conversation turned to worse territory and standing up. "I'll be going now."

"Jeez," said Kanda, "I saw one word and you completely overreact. My bad."

"I just don't want this conversation to go somewhere it shouldn't," said Rei. "It started off fine."

"Don't you think you're being a bit unreasonable?" said Kanda calmly, leaning his head against the wall as he looked up at her. "You're asking me to watch over your boyfriend, and you already know—never mind."

Rei heaved a sigh and knocked her water bottle lightly against his head.

"Being friends is absolutely fine, Kanda," she said. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't make it any more awkward than that."

"I'm not trying to," he said serenely. "You're just overreacting."

Rei paused for a second, realizing the truth behind Kanda's words, then sat back down across from him. Now that she thought about it, it'd been a while since she'd had a decent conversation with him—after she and Tyki had gotten together, it seemed that all of Kanda and her conversations had been snappish and cold—some on her part, and some on his.

"So," she said awkwardly in an effort to stimulate conversation, "how have you been doing?"

Kanda stared at her, then smirked.

"You're really socially awkward," he said. "What kind of conversation starter is that?"

"I'm trying!" she scowled. "At least I bother to have one—_you're_ the one sitting off in the corner glaring at the world and making it seem like you don't want anyone to approach you."

"I do _not_ do that."

"Really," said Rei loftily. "So how about—"

"Did I do it at the last party?" he asked.

Rei lapsed into silence, trying to think what had happened at the last party aside from her getting chewed out by Tyki in the car. Oh. Right. Kanda had seemed to be more social last time. In fact…

"Were you flirting with people?" said Rei incredulously.

"No," he grimaced.

"…Right, _you_ weren't. But you were letting all those women flirt with you."

"Well I couldn't exactly say that I didn't want them around me—"

"You wanted them around you?" said Rei disbelievingly.

"—without being rude," finished Kanda skeptically.

"You're completely fine with being rude," she returned. "Could breaking up with Lenalee have actually made you realize that you're lonely?"

"Rei, you should probably stop talking now," he said sourly. "I don't need you insulting my antisocial-ness when you're the awkward one."

"I am not awkward," she said stubbornly.

Kanda gave a somewhat amused sigh and reached over, his hand hovering over her head for a split second as he was about to tousle her hair a bit. The door opened again, though, and he stopped as the two of them turned to see who it was.

"Kanda," said Tyki smoothly as he leaned against the door, "Marian wants to see you."

"…He couldn't call?" said Kanda coolly, retracting his hand.

"Your phone's off," said Tyki with a smile.

"No, it's not," said the Japanese model. "I turned it on right before—"

"Well, then," said Tyki, his smile hardening, "it must've run out of battery. The point is that Marian wants to see you."

Kanda let out an aggravated breath and stood up, brushing past Tyki as he exited without another word. Rei glared suspiciously at Tyki, seeing easily through his lie, but didn't comment. He must've been upset that she and Kanda were talking alone.

Rei rolled her eyes and stood up as well. Really, Tyki needed to deal with his insecurity and jealousy issues—they were getting out of hand…

She walked past him silently, still acknowledging their cold shoulder game, and headed up to her room for a shower. She heard Tyki follow suit, his footsteps rhythmically matching hers, though heavier and stronger…the silence was unsettling; she was seized with the desire to talk to him, to start up a conversation…but even had they not been engaged in this pathetic little game, Rei didn't know what to say…she scowled. Maybe Kanda was right; she was socially awkward.

They bumped into Kate on the staircase.

"Oh, hey," said Kate amiably, her eyes darting between Rei and Tyki curiously. "We're about to start a poker game in the game room; want to join?"

"I'm good," said Rei appreciatively. "I'm a bit sore and tired from working out, so I think I'll just turn in for the night."

"…Were you working out just now?" said Kate suspiciously. "Rei, we worked out for two hours straight today! It's not good for you if you exercise this much."

Rei shrugged apathetically.

"It's fun," she said, "and I'm bored. It wasn't a big deal—just a little point match with my dad—and it was actually pretty relaxing."

"Well, okay," said Kate dubiously, "but don't work out tomorrow, all right? You'll be sore as hell…"

"I should be all right," Rei answered. "Maybe just for a bit…couple hours."

"Rei—"

"It's not like I have anything better to do," said Rei. "We're not working or anything."

"True…" said Kate with a sigh. "I think Cross's in a slump because of personal issues…well, if you feel like it, come join us. You too, Mikk."

"Thanks for the invitation," said Tyki. "Maybe later."

Rei smiled at Kate and continued her ascension up the stairs, overly conscious of Tyki's footsteps behind her.

"Let's time out the game for a second," said Rei finally as they got to their hall, stopping in front of their room.

"By all means," said Tyki, opening the door for her. "The physical part or the verbal part? Personally, I wouldn't mind if you didn't speak; we can just go for the snogging session—"

"Tyki," she said exasperatedly, "are we still going to stay in the same room?"

He groaned and ushered her in the room quickly, letting the door shut by itself with a clack.

"Look, you're prudish enough already," he said. "Now that your dad's back, please don't turn completely celibate on me."

"I was just asking," said Rei tartly. "I'm not against staying in the same room; I was just wondering if you wanted to kick me out."

"Goodness, no," he said, leaning his hands on either side of her face and trapping her effectively against the surface of the door. "I'd much rather have you with me; I'm going insane…"

He let his voice trail off, most likely having realized that if he completed the sentence, he would be acknowledging his loss. Rei arched an eyebrow, pleased.

"Finish that sentence please, Mr. Mikk?" she said. "You're going insane because I'm not speaking to you?"

"More like not kissing me," he said pleasantly, "because your conversation is less appreciated than your lips."

"Okay," said Rei in an equally agreeable voice, "time in. Conversation is over."

"And make-out session begins."

"If you want to kiss," said Rei in her most seductive voice, "admit that you need me and we can continue."

"Sorry—it's clear that you need me more."

"I'm not the one begging for a make-out session, mm?" she smirked as she made a movement to walk past him.

"Really?" said Tyki, grabbing her shoulder and pushing her back. "I beg to differ."

He was leaning unbearably close to her, his lips hovering over hers.

"You kiss me," she said quietly, "and you lose."

"I'm not kissing you, am I?" he breathed. "My lips aren't even touching you."

He was right—his lips weren't coming in contact with her skin at all. It was his soft breathing that lilted over her lips, her cheeks, warm and damp, trailing from her lips to her cheeks, chin, then down to her neck. Rei felt her cheeks flush and the familiar desire to kiss him back flooded her system. But she was always better than Tyki when it came to resisting, especially when they weren't truly engaged in any intimate activities…Rei pulled away from his grasp, evading his outstretched arms and heading over to the bathroom.

"Hey," said Tyki huskily, making her stop.

"What is it?" she said, not turning around.

"Tomorrow…stay by me a bit. We can continue the game—no talking, no touching…I just want to keep you in my line of sight."

"Worried about something, Mr. Mikk?"

"…No, I…"

"Then if you want me around you just for the sake of me being around you, end the game already," said Rei. "If not…then let's continue."

"What are you going to be doing tomorrow if you don't have work and won't stay with me?" he said dryly.

Rei paused a bit in response, racking her brains for something to do. Her thinking landed on her most natural instinct.

"…Work out."

* * *

"Marian," said Tyki the next day at before lunch, "I'd like you to do me a favor."

"I'm busy," said the photographer absentmindedly as he prodded his pawn forward.

Tyki sighed and moved his bishop to take the pawn.

"You're not busy—we're both bored out of our minds to the point where we've been reduced to playing chess—a rich man's game."

"So?" said Cross defensively, sliding yet another pawn forward to a completely pointless place on the white marble landscape. "I'm a rich man. Besides, I don't feel like working. The right idea hasn't come to me on how I'm going to portray desperation…"

"I have a suggestion that might keep you busy," commented Tyki, letting his knight take Cross's pawn. "How about giving Rei some individual shots?"

"Hm?" said Cross loftily. "I was under the impression that the two of you haven't been on the best terms since the little social gathering a few days ago. Are you asking me to do this out of spite or out of good-will? Either way, no. Check," he added as he took Tyki's knight with his queen.

Tyki heaved another sigh and rather brutally butted Cross's queen out with a rook.

"Check," said Tyki monotonously, setting his black rook two squares in front of Cross's white king. "I want Rei to tap into that latent model-esque side of her; she has so much energy that could be channeled to the camera."

"Or into punching bags," said Cross grimly as he stared at the board. "What, you're worried that she's going to be spending all her time working out—like she's been doing since breakfast—and she's going to turn back into a bodyguard?"

"Sort of," admitted Tyki as he analyzed the board as well. "I just feel like it's not good for her to always be so…physical. She has unlimited potential as a model—she just needs to figure out how to use that bodyguard image in front of a camera."

"This might just be me," said Cross slowly, "but weren't you attracted to her initially _because_ she was a bodyguard?"

Tyki didn't answer, thinking. That was true, actually—Rei had been only decently attractive enough to catch Tyki's eye to begin with, but definitely nothing worth remembering. It had been the aura she'd emitted when sending a knife flying into a grown man's knee that urged Tyki to text her after the party.

"Yes," said Tyki, "but I—"

"Just because Rei is a bodyguard doesn't mean she'll leave you," said Cross patiently. "People's emotions do not change according to their career."

"Protecting snobbish, self-important brats isn't a career," said Tyki sullenly, thinking of Kanda as Cross moved a rook directly in front of his own king.

"You're right, it's not," agreed Cross. "It's a lifestyle."

"Marian, you are making this no easier for me—"

"Rei's best pictures have come from her most natural moments," said Cross. "She is incapable of pulling out her best expressions when she's in front of a camera alone. At the same time, some of her other best pictures have come out…well, obviously, when she's with you. Image-wise, you're good for her."

Tyki stared at Cross, stupefied with his sincerity. The redhead caught his incredulous look and frowned.

"What?" said Cross. "I can't say something nice for once?"

"Well, at least you acknowledge that it's 'for once,'" said Tyki, shuddering. "Seriously, warn me before you say something nice; I have to brace myself."

"Idiot," scoffed Cross, grimacing as Tyki kicked out the white rook with a black queen. "Well, if you really want me to take individual shots of Rei…I guess it might be good for her. You do have a point when you say that she has potential to be a good model—I've seen her when she fights. A lot of liveliness."

"Exactly," grinned Tyki as he saw Cross move a knight that had been blocking his other rook to take out his queen. "Can't do that, Marian. You're leaving both my rooks open to take your king."

"Oh. Shit."

"Is this checkmate?" said Tyki, scrutinizing the board. "I actually think it is—I just didn't notice it."

"Man…" said Cross, leaning back in his cushioned chair. "I was under the impression that you were an idiot—"

"A thought greatly appreciated," said Tyki.

"—so how did you manage to beat me in a chess game?"

"After getting beat up by Bookman so much, I _had_ to improve in some way or another…if it makes you feel any better, I've _never_ won against Bookman. Not once. And we've played chess a million times."

"Well, he _is_ a Bookman," said Cross pointedly as he began to reset the board. "Can't beat that family when it comes to intellect."

"Indeed," murmured Tyki, reaching into his pocket and withdrawing an orange bottle of pills. He noticed the photographer look at him warily and grimaced. "Please don't say you're going to lecture me about it—it's none of your business."

"Haven't seen you take some in a while," he remarked. "Just wondering what might've prompted this abrupt change."

"Nothing," said Tyki, dumping an uncertain amount of pills into the hollow of his palm and swallowing. His cell phone rang abruptly, causing him to check it.

_She's still working out_, Kate's text read_, what else is new. Oh, wait, well now she's doing some judo match with her dad. Am I supposed to stop her? Her dad looks kinda scary. You stop her._

Tyki frowned. Kate was utterly useless, really. The Portuguese model stood up and stretched, running a hand through his long hair.

"What? No rematch?" said Cross.

"Nah, I have something to attend to."

"If you want me to take individual shots of Rei, you better pay me in some way or another," said Cross.

"You have enough money, Marian."

"Then give me something else," said Cross, pulling a cigarette out of his jacket pocket and lighting it. "Like…an opportunity to take a set of pictures in your house."

Tyki pursed his lips.

"With who as the model?" he asked.

Cross arched an eyebrow.

"You, of course. I feel like you haven't been up to par since the Mediterranean shoot, and I thought shooting in your mansion—where the design is archaic and grand—would suit your look."

"I decline," said Tyki primly.

"If it were you and Rei, would that convince you any?"

"I don't know why you're so interested with going to my house," said Tyki deprecatingly. "It's just a house."

Cross gave him a very condescending look.

"It's a _palace_."

"No."

"You've been against us going to your house since the very beginning," said Cross with narrowed eyes. "Why? Something to do with Rei?"

"If it were, it'd be none of your business," said Tyki calmly, knowing very well that he wanted Rei nowhere near his house. "Just take Rei's shots, all right? It'll be good for her—and you."

"When it comes to modeling, I'd rather have Lenalee," said Cross grimly.

Tyki let out a breath, not willing to argue any further.

"Let me know when you take her," he said wearily. "I need to have a talk with her father."

* * *

"You are a bodyguard," said Eiji as he blocked one of Rei's punches. "Not a model."

"Yes," she said jadedly, "you've repeated that statement maybe twenty times since the beginning of this session, which was only five minutes ago."

"Just reminding you," he shrugged, blocking a kick lazily. "How long have you and Mr. Mikk been…affiliated?"

"Dating?" she said. "Around three weeks. Known each other? Around three months."

"Not a very long time," commented Eiji. "Not enough to know him well."

"It's enough for me to like him," answered Rei, ducking as he punched out at her.

"You're a teenager. Your emotions are fickle, like a—"

"Fleeting wisp of flame," she finished boringly. "Yes, I know. I disagree."

"Separate yourself from him for a month, and you will realize that I am very correct."

"It's none of your business," said Rei, panting slightly as she twisted her body uncomfortably to avoid a simultaneous punch and kick. "He's a good guy."

"No," said Eiji mildly, "he is not."

"How would you know? The only interaction you've had with him was one, trying to kill him, and two, explaining your strange reappearance in the middle of nowhere. Not enough interaction to judge."

"I've heard much from his siblings."

"Which ones?" she asked. "Cyril, the one who tried to kidnap me and kill Kanda at the same time? Or Lulu, the one who _used_ Tyki and—"

"Do not speak ill of the Noah Family," said Eiji with a trace of anger. "They are extremely powerful."

"Oh, you're open," said Rei, catching her father at his left hip with a light kick. "Point for me."

Eiji brushed off his opening by continuing his lecture. "Mr. Mikk is an unstable and unsafe man to be around—"

"So what have you been up to?" said Rei in an attempt to change the subject. "Why were you in Hokkaido? And now in Spain?"

"On business," was his typically cryptic answer.

"Yes," said Rei, "I know. What are you doing?"

"None of your concern, Rei."

"Then my business, likewise, is none of yours," she said coldly. "Don't interfere."

"If Mr. Mikk is your business," said Eiji slowly as he stepped back a bit for another round, "is Kanda?"

Rei paused, unsure of how to respond. She still thought Kanda had been joking with her the day before—that or extremely paranoid. Eiji could not possibly have been part of the yakuza—it just didn't make any sense. Still, it wouldn't hurt to ask.

"Say," she said conversationally, "Kanda did tell me something rather far-fetched the other day. Something about you—"

The door banged open, and in walked Tyki, followed by Kate, who looked rather apologetically at Rei.

"Rei," said Tyki rather politely, "time for lunch."

Rei glanced at the analog clock ticking on the wall, taking a few brief seconds to decipher which hand was which.

"It's only eleven thirty," she said. "A bit early, don't you think?"

"The cook has other stuff to do afterward," replied Tyki without skipping a beat. "He insisted that we eat early."

Rei pursed her lips, realizing that she could now easily tell when Tyki was lying. Nevertheless, she did not want to stay any longer with her father for fear of being interrogated even further, and simply nodded. A look of relief passed over Tyki's face, disappearing quickly but still noticeable.

"Well, I'll go and eat then," she said to Eiji. "Bye."

"Another session at three?" he queried.

"Sorry," said Tyki. "Rei has work."

"I thought Cross was—"

"You have work," said Tyki with finality.

Rei sighed, more amused than irritated with Tyki's blatant lying. She gave her dad a wry grin and a wave as she exited the room.

"I'll call you later," she said. "We can catch up then."

Unfortunately, she didn't see Tyki signal for Eiji to remain behind. After all, Tyki's mouth always got him in trouble…

* * *

"Why are you here?" asked Tyki after ascertaining that he and Eiji were alone.

"Because my daughter is here," was Eiji's matter-of-fact reply.

"Yes, obviously not," said Tyki impatiently. "What is my brother giving you? What does he want you to do?"

"…You are unaware," said Eiji cryptically.

Tyki's eyes hardened.

"What do you mean? I'm unaware of what?"

"Of what is going on."

"Can you stop speaking in damn riddles?" said Tyki, frustrated. "If this is concerning the Mafia—at this point, I don't care anymore. I left—a long time ago. What Cyril wants to do with the Mafia is none of my business—I just don't want him dragging Rei into everything."

"My daughter and you aren't compatible."

"You established that the first time we met," said Tyki. "I don't particularly care for your opinion, if you haven't noticed."

"You are one infuriating brat…how in the world did Lulu put up with you?"

"Lulu and Cyril are both extremely eccentric," said Tyki with a sarcastic smile, "so I pale in comparison in terms of being 'infuriating.' They're probably used to it by now."

"Regardless, you do know that Rei and your relationship will not possibly last," said Eiji seriously. "She will leave you on her own accord."

Tyki didn't answer, knowing the great possibility of that happening if Rei returned to her bodyguard status. Nevertheless, he shrugged it off.

"We'll see," he said vaguely. "I advise you to refrain from trying so hard to separate us though…and to stop training her. She doesn't need so much muscle."

"She hardly has any for a bodyguard."

"And has far too much for a model," said Tyki lightly.

"She _is_ a bodyguard," said Eiji evenly. "I know what you're doing—changing her. But she knows—she feels it herself, the role of a model is awkward for her."

"She'll get used to it; it's always awkward at first."

"Young man," said Eiji coldly, "what exactly do you see in my daughter? She is nothing spectacular. You are royalty, a world renown model, and yet you…belittle yourself to go out with her. She is _normal_. You are not."

"She isn't normal. She's simple, true, but she's not normal. She's different—I know that, she knows that." Tyki took out his orange bottle and began tossing it up and down, relishing the clacking sound of falling pills. "I'm not belittling myself. Rei is good for me. So don't take her away."

Eiji remained silent, staring at Tyki sullenly as he unscrewed the cap to his pills and dumped a few out.

"Mr. Mikk, you surely aren't going to eat that many—"

Tyki popped the pills in his mouth and swallowed effortlessly. Eiji stared at him as if he were insane.

"Where was I?" said Tyki, blinking a bit, completely unfazed. "Oh, right, Rei's good for me. I'm good for her too."

"You are _not_—"

"Okay, fine, maybe I'm not," confessed Tyki. "But she knows the consequences, and she's fine with them."

"I am her father," said Eiji severely. "I'm not fine with the effects of her dating you—she has grown wild, loose—"

"That she isn't," said Tyki mildly. "She won't let me sleep with her—I've gone nearly a month without shagging someone…that's sort of sad, now that I think about…"

"Young man, sex at your age—"

"I'm twenty-one, _please_ don't lecture me," chuckled Tyki. "But no need to worry, I'll wait for Rei. See? I'm very serious about this relationship. So please, back off. Don't change her into something she's not."

"Shouldn't I be saying those words to you?"

"Rei can be a model," said Tyki, preparing to leave. "Rei can be a phenomenal model. As long as she stays with me, she can be anything. She just needs to stay by me."

* * *

"So. I'm going to be taking pictures by myself," said a very sweaty and hot Rei as she glared at her salad.

"That's the idea," said Cross, wrinkling his nose at the sight of her. "After you shower, of course."

"Of course," she mimicked with a roll of her eyes. "Fine, but why is it just me?"

"Because…" Cross let his voice trail off, thinking of an excuse, "because you need more experience in front of a camera, so this will sort of be like training."

"Training," repeated Rei, her green eyes clouding in suspicion. "And you're doing this out of the goodness of your heart? Or did someone put you up to it?"

Cross noticed Rei's eyes flicker over to Tyki, who was sitting at the corner of the table, surreptitiously watching them. Damn, the girl was too wary of everything.

"What do you mean, the goodness of my heart?" said Cross with a slight trace of a growl. "I'm not going to let _you_ ruin these group shots—now go upstairs and shower before I drag you there myself."

"Don't mother me, Cross," said Rei tiredly. "I already have one parent here. Fine, fine, I'll go. Sorry if I don't believe you though…Tyki seems to be up to something."

Ah, what a nice and trusting relationship these youngsters had…

* * *

"Rei," deadpanned Cross. "For the last time, _smile._"

"I am," she said stonily.

"You are _not_."

"Why am I doing this?" she said frostily. "This is pointless. There's no _need_ for me to be modeling right now when I could be doing something more productive—"

"Like what?" snorted Cross. "Working out? Like you've been doing all day?"

"Better than this," Rei said through gritted teeth.

She was getting tired of it all. Modeling was too stiff. She wanted to do something…physical. Throw something. A rock at Cross's camera. Or head. Whichever she could hit.

They were on the beach, right in front of the frothing ocean of blue. Rei was dressed in a typical beach-like fashion, a sundress with large shades, sandals dangling from her hand. It was a cute dress, really. Large floral print. Nice glasses too. But it was all so _stiff_. She wanted to be in a T-shirt and shorts, playing in the water. Not standing rigidly in front of a camera, looking "forlorn" or "happy" at will.

"Are you serious about this job or not?" snapped Cross. "In case you didn't know, Rei, you're dragging Mikk down! He is an _international_ model—you need to practice to match him."

She knew that already. She'd known that for a long time—but hearing it from Cross made it no easier. Rei ground her teeth, dropping her sandals to the ground and removing her sunglasses. Running a hand through her hair, she sighed.

"This is not a life…suited for me," she said softly.

"Shoulda thought about that sooner," said Cross absentmindedly. "Keep your hand in your hair—that's a good expression."

Rei snapped out of her natural depression and glared at the camera.

"Damn," cursed Cross. "I only got like…two pictures of that expression."

"Would you stop it?" she said angrily. "Everything's just work, work, work to you—you don't care—"

"I took you for a mature, independent young woman who knew what she was doing," interrupted Cross. "I thought you knew the difficulties that would come up when it came to modeling as Mikk's partner. I thought you were the kind of person who would _stand up_ to adversity, not run. So just because you're in a rut, because you're not finding this _fun_ anymore, you're going to complain? I expected you to at least try, Rei."

"I—"

"Ten minute break," said Cross curtly. "Get your act together."

Rei swore loudly and stalked off, throwing her sunglasses onto the sand as she headed straight for the water. It was freaking hot. And she was annoyed. Aggravated. Angry.

The moment the cool water touched her toes, Rei felt the utter desire to submerge herself entirely. She waded deeper, until the water came up to her waist, then dove in completely. The coldness enveloped her body, drenching her dress and causing it to clamp over her figure like a second skin, dragging her down. But Rei surfaced, breathing in deeply, trying to clear her mind.

She was tired. Of being in front of a camera. Rei had never been stunning…never been the leader. Independent she was, but not charismatic, as models needed to be. And no matter what Tyki said about it, it would be near impossible for her to get the bodyguard instinct out of her system—because she had _fun_ punching things, fighting, being free with her limbs and striking out as her temperament dictated.

"You're going to ruin your makeup," said Tyki's soothing voice behind her.

Rei didn't even bother turning around, instead closing her eyes as Tyki's hand touched her drenched neck lightly. Even in the water, he was warm.

"I'm not wearing any," she said.

"Ah. Was Marian going for a more natural feel today, then?"

"I have no idea. We ended up yelling at each other."

"Ten minute break?"

"Yeah…no. A permanent break. Tyki," she said, turning around and stopping upon seeing that his torso was bare. "Oh…you're not wearing a shirt."

Tyki arched an eyebrow, looking amused. "No, mademoiselle, I'm not, as you so duly noted."

Rei gave a weary smile at his laidback humor.

"Tyki…you know that I like you a lot, right?"

"Quite the contrary—I was under the impression that you were in love with me," he said seriously.

"…Well, yes, I am," she said. "I am, believe me. But…Tyki. This is life is not something I want to lead. It's difficult…and I'm starting to get the feeling I'm not suited for it."

She was surprised to see the degree of emotion that Tyki's eyes were showing. Now that she thought about it, hadn't it been in this very ocean where they had taken their magnetic attraction pictures? Where they'd spent ten minutes of examining each other's very souls based on nothing except for an exchange of intense eye contact? Where Rei had realized that Tyki's eyes shone in amazing colors, gold reflecting the blue sea, an ephemeral combination of shades that were impossible to capture on a camera?

It suddenly struck her that she had not looked at his eyes in a while. Had not studied them. Had not stared deeply into their depths to analyze his emotions. Perhaps it had been because of their silly game. Because they had constantly been sniping at each other lately.

But now that she was looking properly at Tyki, she realized how deep his emotions were. How he looked frightened, all of a sudden. Wary. Angry. And…betrayed.

But something pushed Rei to keep speaking. To say what had been weighing her down for so long.

"Tyki…I quit. I'm not going to model anymore."

She had expected a silence to settle, an uncomfortable one, before Tyki began a harangue. But what happened surprised her.

He didn't even wait a split-second. Tyki simply grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her deeply, his touch urgent and desperate, his hands sliding from her shoulders to her back and into her hair, gripping the wet strands tightly and pushing towards him, preventing her from escaping. But before Rei could even kiss him back of natural instinct, he stopped, breathing harshly.

"Don't say that. Don't say you're quitting. I need you," he said hoarsely. "I fucking need you… I don't…want you to leave because I need you. I don't care for the fucking game—at this point, I don't even care for my pride—Rei, I—"

She cut him off, kissing him as fervently as he did just seconds before. Tyki wrapped his warm arms around her waist, pressing her tightly against his chest as he returned the kiss deeply, that edge of extreme anxiety still in his kiss, that obvious sense of need that she reciprocated as well.

Rei finally managed to tug away, breathing haggardly as she hugged him tightly.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," she said miserably. "I…the only reason I even want to model anymore is because you're doing it—"

"And that's not a good enough reason?" he said huskily.

"No, it's not," said Rei desperately. "It's not—I need to find what's good for me."

"But I already found what's good for me," said Tyki quietly. "I found you. Am I not allowed to keep what's good for me _with_ me?"

"I-I wouldn't be leaving—"

"No," he said, kissing her again. "You turning back into a bodyguard means you're leaving—it means you'll go back to the days where you didn't care about the world, where you only cared about Kanda—when are you going to see, Rei, that _I_ need you?! Isn't that what you've been trying to prove this entire time?! That _I_ need you? And now that I've actually said it, admitted it, why are you pulling away again?!"

The anger that was lacing his voice, the expression he was wearing…it was all awful, all things that Rei had never wanted to see. So this was the look of betrayal, the fear, the phobia he held since so long ago—and she was the cause? And she was the reason?

"Tyki, please…"

Oh, God, was she crying?

"Rei. I need you. And even if I'm not the best for you—if I'm not good for you," said Tyki huskily, "you need me. And if we need each other…why does it have to end?"

"We're not…breaking up, you idiot…" she said, frustrating tears mixing with seawater. "I don't…" She hiccupped. "I don't get your logic…"

"Rei," he said, his voice pained, "I need you. Please…"

"Y-you're high, aren't you?" she hiccupped again, reaching out and touching his cheek lightly. "Y-you're stoned…you wouldn't say s-something so sentimental if y-you weren't…you wouldn't lose the g-game either if you weren't…"

"And you're drunk," he said with the same depressed humor she was exhibiting, "because you wouldn't…cry over something so silly."

She laughed shakily, almost forced, nearly in an effort to make the atmosphere lighter; but the moment that initial mirth entered her, it took over her, and she collapsed against Tyki, laughing and crying at the same time, weaving her arms around his neck as she leaned against him in a moment of ambivalence, of undetermined joy and anger, frustration and satisfaction, tears and laughter.

Tyki's arms slinked around her waist and pulled her closer. He said nothing coherent, whispering something lightly at her ear, nothing she could understand.

She was still so confused. So frustrated. Still clueless on what she was going to do.

But she did know now. Something at least substantial, something that gave her at least the tiniest bit of satisfaction.

Tyki had not been the only one to lose their silly love game.

* * *

**Free Talk:**

In case you haven't noticed, I adore Coldplay. With a passion. My favorite band, definitely.

Thank you for all your reviews last chapter! :) I'm glad to see that most of you liked the last chapter when I didn't enjoy it as much, haha. But I guess I'm always never perfectly satisfied with my chapters, so I'll just refrain from saying anything about my opinion for this chapter. I do have to apologize for making Tyki OOC though; let's just blame it on the drugs, shall we?

Um...I know Kanda fans are probably going to say that he didn't get enough screen time. I know. I'm sorry. I've tried to make chapters more "balanced," but a lot of the times, I felt like I was forcing Kanda to be there when he wasn't supposed to, and that just disrupted the flow a lot. So hopefully you'll forgive me, but rest assured that Kanda doesn't disappear. Please. And don't be frustrated because he's not in one chapter. It's just difficult having the conversations balance, especially when the chapter focuses more on Rei's development than anyone else's...

Hm...I'm just getting the vibe that a lot of people will dislike this chapter. =\ Well, let's hope otherwise! Please prove me wrong. :) Review, please! That would be oh-so-wonderful.

Until next time~ xoxo,  
m.n


	34. Transitory Stages

**Chapter 33: Transitory Stages**

**

* * *

**_"You're a target that I'm aiming at_**  
**_And I get that message home."_

_--**Coldplay**. "A Message."_

_

* * *

_

Cross frowned at the scene that was unfolding in front of him. Honestly, Rei could only look good when she was with Tyki. That was too limited…he sighed and shut off his camera. He didn't feel like taking pictures, opportune thought the moment was.

His cell phone rang abruptly, causing his frown to deepen as he looked down at the caller. Unknown…

"Cross Marian," he said as he picked up. "Who's this?"

"Hello, Mr. Marian," said a completely unfamiliar voice. "This is Cyril Kamelot, unofficial head of the Portuguese royal family. Sorry for calling you out of the blue; I managed to find your phone number through our numerous sources."

"Right…" said Cross skeptically. "Do you…need something?"

"Oh, just a little bit of business, that's all."

"…Are you sure you didn't mean to call Mikk? I'm pretty sure I have no business with you."

"Well, we will have some if you listen to the little proposition I'm going to make," said Cyril pleasantly. "Let's see…a few years ago, in an interview in France, you mentioned that you would like to shoot a set of photos in a palace setting—preferably Portugal's, yes? Our palace, after all, is rather impressive…and you've mentioned that you thought Tyki was one of the best models you've photographed."

"Correction," said Cross. "He's not the best model. His _pictures_ in the Mediterranean—mostly my skill—were the best I've taken."

"Ah, well, regardless…how would you like to continue this long and extended photo shoot at our home, in Portugal? I assure you that the scenery is absolutely splendid."

"Really…" said Cross skeptically. "What's the catch?"

"Ah, I'm so glad we're on the same boat. The catch, indeed. It's hardly important—just bring Tyki and the rest of your group back to Portugal presently to continue your photo shoots here…which you'd have to do anyway, if you wanted to use him as your model—which is your intention, isn't it?"

"You're…rather comfortable with backhanded methods, aren't you?" remarked Cross. "What makes you think that I'll abide to your request?"

"Why, because I'm not the only one benefiting, mm? It's not like you're doing any harm, either. I'll be sure to host your entire group to the best of my ability."

Cross withdrew a cigarette and lit it, studying Rei and Tyki as they conversed. Tyki had seemed unstable as of late, his mind always distracted with Rei…perhaps returning him to his family would improve his sense of self-control…

"If you want to agree to my offer," said Cyril amiably, correctly interpreting Cross's silence, "I'll have a jet over at your hotel by tomorrow morning."

"A jet?" said Cross skeptically. "Why don't we just go to the airport? You have nowhere to land here."

"Oh, we're the royal family," said Cyril. "We're allowed to do anything. Tomorrow, then. Nine o'clock."

"Fine by me."

"Thank you for your cooperation," said the Noah member professionally. "I can see how much easier it'll be to work with you than I thought. I'll see you here in Portugal tomorrow then."

"I want unrestricted access to the palace."

"Well, that might not be possible," he replied, "but I'll see if I can give you as much access as I can. Some things, after all, are better left private."

* * *

Tyki was in the middle of an extremely pleasant scenario. Something about the entire thing seemed very off—perhaps it was the fact that they were in a completely whitewashed room, or that he and Rei were engaging in some very fun activities, but regardless, the strange-ness of the whole thing did not bug Tyki one bit.

But dreams were dreams until they became reality, and it did not take much for Tyki—always the light sleeper—to wake up.

A few soothing calls echoed in his mind, and he frowned, refusing to open his eyes.

"Tyki," said Rei's voice again, somewhat languidly, piercing through the stagnancy.

Tyki's eyes snapped open.

He was on a bed, true, but Rei was certainly not shirtless, nor was he satisfying himself in the middle of her chest, as his dream had been dictating, and much as he had dearly would've wished.

Instead, they were in their hotel room, in the middle of the night. The red numbers illuminated by the clock read 2:51, somehow contributing to the musty feel over the room, clean as it was. It was almost like the two of them were drunk on emotions. Wind blew gently outside, causing the branches of the trees outside their room clack against the window in an uncanny manner. Rain was pitter-pattering, the sound comforting and yet complementing the eeriness of the sound of branches scraping against glass.

Rei had fallen asleep rather quickly the moment they'd returned to the room. Their conversation throughout the rest of the day, after their out-of-place re-confessions, had been halted and quiet; they, however, had contained the serenity that Tyki had so long missed since their increase in bickering. Despite the numbing effects of his drugs, he was at least feeling pleasantly calm as he leaned his forehead against hers.

"You were smiling," Rei murmured, snuggling close to him. "Smirking. Good dream?"

"…Very…" he said surreally.

"…Perverted dream?" guessed Rei.

"Sort…sort of…"

She looked at him with fleeting disparagement and moved slightly away. Tyki let out a breath and draped a protective arm over her, drawing her back and holding her to his bare chest.

"You really want it, don't you?" she said. "Sex?"

"…Not if you're not ready," he said in a rather gentlemanly tone, though secretly thinking otherwise.

Rei scoffed, obviously seeing through his façade of chivalry.

"I still don't want to do it," she said softly. "I still wouldn't know what to due after it."

"I would," he said pleasantly. "There are many avenues of sex we could explore."

Rei didn't reply, apparently not in the mood for his ill-placed sexual humor. Tyki sighed and wrapped a hand around her neck, letting his hand crawl up into her hair and play with the silky strands. He leaned lower and kissed her briefly on the forehead.

"I can wait," he murmured.

"Albeit grudgingly," was her muffled reply.

"True," he said. "Relationships nowadays generally consist of sex somewhere along the formula. Very rarely does one come across someone as prudish as you."

"Incorrect," she answered. "I am not prudish."

"Mm-hm…"

She gave a short, irritated little scoff that trailed off into a longer, more serious sigh.

"Sorry I woke you up…" she said. "That was a bit stupid on my part, I guess. You have such difficulty falling asleep to begin with…"

"Personally, I'm rather happy you did," he confessed. "I might've said something stupid or awkward had that dream continued."

Rei laughed softly against his skin, though he thought it sounded a bit weary and forced. It was a bit evident that she was still feeling out of sorts, not in-tune with herself. Though exactly how that worked, Tyki wasn't really sure—he just knew that Rei was feeling upset at herself for wanting to leave his world and being unable to.

Of course, he was the cause of that. Unfortunately, he didn't regret it. He had come to terms with his needs: his need for drugs, cigs, sex (though that was out of picture as of the last month), and now, Rei. And when Tyki had needs, he got them, and didn't let them go. It was the only way he could function.

"Thanks," said Rei very suddenly.

"…You're welcome," said Tyki. "Er…for what?"

"For losing."

Tyki chuckled slightly, seeing where she was going.

"The game, you mean? You're glad that I said I needed you?"

"Yeah. I needed that. Even though you were high."

"…Perhaps," he said, trailing his fingertips up and down her shoulder. "…It was sincere though."

"…I know."

He pushed her away a bit, looking her in the eyes.

"What about you?" he asked.

"What about me?"

"Need me?"

Rei paused a bit, her eyes flickering from Tyki's eyes to his mouth.

"Yeah."

"Really?"

"Doubting me?"

"A bit."

"Hurt?"

"Very."

"Rightfully so."

The barest flicker of a smile traced her lips as he feigned an offended expression.

"You need me," he said convincingly.

"I do," she agreed, her cool hands slipping up his bare chest and linking around his neck. "I…I've been thinking though…"

Something about her tone made him jump to the worst conclusion. Which, unfortunately, was probably right.

"…You're not going to be a bodyguard," he said quietly.

"…I won't. Not right…now. I'll stay as a model…for now."

"What do you mean, for now?" said Tyki, his eyes narrowing.

Rei let out a breath, looking at Tyki in the eyes. He let the silence stay for a few seconds, trying to force an answer out of her simply through his gaze. Unfortunately, she didn't respond. He opened his mouth to angrily reply, but before he could say anything, Rei leaned in and brushed her lips against his. He sighed against her lips and closed his eyes—something he realized he'd started doing recently, strangely enough, or maybe he'd just never noticed it before—as he kissed her back.

"Don't distract me," he said suddenly, breaking it off and breathing in deeply. "Answer the question."

"…I just…I don't think I'm going to stay as a model after this project," said Rei. "I'll work—and do my best—for this collaboration…but I'm not going to keep it up, all right? It's really not the life for me."

"But—"

"I think you know it as well as I do," said Rei, fiddling with a strand of his hair. "It's not going to work out. Modeling. But I think…I really think you and me can work out. Is that enough?"

Tyki opened his mouth to angrily protest, to say that it _wasn't_ enough, to try and convince her to see his point of view. His expression must've revealed his desire, though, for Rei cringed slightly as she glanced at his face. He then shut his mouth and let out a long sigh, feeling wearier than he had been moments before. Maybe it _was_ enough. Maybe he was being too pessimistic, too controlling. Maybe he could…trust. A bit.

He leaned his forehead against hers, causing her expression to relax.

"That's enough," he said quietly. "That's enough."

He did not wait for a response, a sigh of gratitude and relief. He simply stretched out his arms and brought her closer, holding her tightly against his body.

No more words. Just his lips against her skin. His warmth against hers. His hands against her figure.

Just silence.

* * *

"Tyki," said Rei as she stared at herself in the mirror the next morning after taking her shower.

"Yes?" came Tyki's pleasant reply from the shower room.

"What is on my neck?"

"I don't know, dear. What does it look like?"

Rei struggled to find the right words. "It…it looks like a…bug bite. But…"

"Hm. Curious. I wasn't aware this hotel had any bugs."

"It's not a bug bite!" she said indignantly. "It looks like a hickey! Tyki, did you—"

"Hickey? Dear goodness," he said with mock shock, "I can't believe it. Who would dare leave a hickey in such a noticeable spot—"

"You idiot!" she flared, her cheeks turning a nice shade of scarlet as she brought her hand up to the red spot against her neck. "It is…it is _so_ visible! Do you know how many embarrassing questions this will bring up?"

Tyki didn't answer; Rei heard him twist the shower knob, shutting off the water, and after a few seconds of stretched silence, he emerged from the shower room, a towel wrapped around his not-quite-dry body.

"Why do you look so unhappy, Rei?" he grinned at her mutinous expression. "It's very cute."

"Mr. Mikk," growled Rei, "kindly tell me as to how a _hickey_ can look _cute_. It is _disgusting_. _Get rid of it._"

"I can't," he said, still politely pleasant.

"_Do something about it._"

"No can do," he said happily, his mood much lighter than any she'd seen in the last few days. "Now everyone will think you and I are sleeping together, and Kanda will make just a classic face—I'll have to ask Marian to take a picture of it so I can frame it in my personal scrapbook of 'The Best Faces of All Times—Depicting: Revulsion.'"

"You are so funny," she said dryly. "I am _dying_ of laughter. Can you see it? I'm _dying_."

"Of laughter?" he said enjoyably.

"Of humiliation is more like it!" she snapped. "Tyki, _please_ think before you act! If you just _had_ to make a hickey, you could've put it somewhere less noticeable!"

"Okay," he said sincerely, nodding his head. "I'll be sure to remember that next time."

"There will _not_ be a next time!"

"Dear," he said, now laughing at her flushed face, "please stop overreacting. Just wear a scarf. It'll cover it up."

"It's warm outside!"

"That's what summer scarves are for. They're a fashion statement, not a need."

"If the scarf comes off and everyone sees—"

"I'll ask Marian to get his camera ready to focus on your _and_ Kanda's faces," grinned Tyki, "so make sure to wrap that scarf tightly around your neck, you know."

"You—"

A thunderous knocking on their door interrupted their conversation, halting Rei's harangue, and the two of them exchanged bemused looks.

"What in the world?" said Tyki, leaning out of the bathroom door. "Who the hell would that be?"

"You get it," said Rei waywardly, searching through bottles of makeup in order to find the right shade of concealer.

"No."

"Tyki Mikk," she growled, "I am currently furious with you, so if you don't get your lazy _arse_ to the door this instant, this relationship is over."

"…Excuse me?" he said, aghast that she could even suggest such a thing.

"Get the door."

Tyki frowned and exited the bathroom, much to Rei's relief. It was still beyond her as to why he didn't think of the entire situation was extremely mortifying. She gave a cursory glance at the numerous bottles of foundation and concealer that Kate had given to her a few days ago. Unsure of which one to use, she picked up the most temperate shade of peach she could find and began to unscrew the cap. She could hear low voices from the bedroom and vaguely assumed that it was Lavi at the door; perhaps he needed to borrow something from Tyki.

He returned as Rei rubbed the nude-colored substance evenly over the particularly apparent part of her neck, looking somewhat perplexed.

"Who was it?" she asked.

"Bookman," was the reply, confirming Rei's suspicions.

"What did he want?"

"We're leaving," said Tyki, running a hand through his damp hair.

"Leaving?" repeated Rei, wincing as she stared at her reflection and angling her neck in different ways to see which one made the stupid mark least noticeable. "Where to?"

"I have no idea," he answered. "But we're getting on a plane."

Rei turned to him, bewildered.

"A plane?" she said. "A _plane_? What in the world…is Cross an idiot? Does he think this is all very funny, dragging us _literally_ halfway across the world for only a few weeks and then sending us right back? There is a time when spontaneity because annoying!"

"Don't tell me that," Tyki sighed, much less disturbed by the news than Rei. "I'm already quite used to it. Now, unless you want to see me gloriously naked, you can make you way back to the bedroom as I change."

"But I'm not done getting ready—"

"Go to Kate's room for your makeup," said Tyki, reaching for another towel to run his hair through. "She's much better at dolling you up than you are anyway."

Rei frowned and left, running a hand through her nearly dry hair as she scanned her reflection in the full-body mirror that was tacked up against the back of the restroom door. Skinny jeans and a tight, red crew-neck T-shirt never hurt anyone. And about that pesky hickey…she simply grabbed a light, white scarf from the closet and exited the room, making her way over to Kate's.

Rei knocked politely, waiting patiently as there was some scuffling from within before the door opened.

"Hey," said Kate brightly, looking more pink than she normally was. "What's up?"

Rei looked from Kate to Lavi, who was a few feet behind her and was grinning innocently up at the ceiling. It wasn't hard to put two and two together.

"I interrupted something, didn't I?" she deadpanned.

"No, not at all," said Kate swiftly.

"Yep…" said Lavi. "Something _real_ pleasant."

"Okay," said Rei, turning away instantly, "I don't want to know, and I'll just let you guys continue with whatever you were doing—"

"Great," said Lavi, grabbing Kate from behind and pushing the door shut. "See you at the rooftop at nine."

The door closed with a satisfactory clack, leaving Rei to stare at the glossy oak with an expression crossed between disdain and confusion.

"The…rooftop?" she said slowly to no one in particular.

"Yes, Rei," said an exasperated voice behind her, "the rooftop at nine. Because the jet can't land in the middle of the street."

She turned around, her green eyes landing on Kanda, who was dressed casually in a dark black polo and jeans. He looked more like a morning person than the rest of the group; his complexion was smooth and his expression relaxed and refreshed, though Rei could discern the little bouts of normal condescension amidst his handsome features.

"Morning," he said with a slight smirk. "Apparently, this early in the day doesn't agree with you—you seem to be extremely slow."

"Thanks for the observation," she said dryly. "You could've said that when you called me to work at six in the morning on a Saturday though. Do you know where we're going?"

Kanda shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

"Nope. Marian just has his way of doing things; I've gotten to the point where I find it rather pointless to argue."

"Really," said Rei skeptically. "I highly doubt that; how much do you want to bet that the moment you see him, you're going to launch a very typical Kanda-esque speech about how he needs to fit everything to your schedule because the world revolves around you—"

"Shut up, Matsumomo."

"You started it," she said immaturely, discreetly realizing that she liked it much more—or, at least, found the atmosphere more comfortable—when Kanda called her by her surname.

"I personally am quite fine with leaving the Isles for a while," said Kanda. "It's too hot here…and…there are some people here whom I'd rather not see."

"My father," said Rei understandingly.

"True. And Satsuma. She's still an octopus. More so to Mikk, when you're not looking, but all the same—the way she bats her eyelashes really infuriates me. Speaking of your father though—does he know we're leaving?"

"Probably not," said Rei. "I should probably go tell him."

"It doesn't matter," said Kanda hastily. "Just…call him when you're gone or something."

"Goodness," she said, "you're completely terrified of him. There's absolutely no reason to be—it's not like he's out to kill you or anything—he's a nice person generally. Idiot though he is."

"That's not reassuring," sighed Kanda. "Forget it—you wouldn't understand."

"He's my dad, Kanda. There's nothing to be scared about."

"Never mind," said Kanda, shaking off the topic and changing it to his favorite one: criticism of others. "Why the hell are you wearing a scarf? It's hot outside."

"Um…" Rei racked her brain for the term that Tyki had used only moments earlier. "It's a…er, it's a fashion statement?"

It didn't look like Kanda believed her, with his perfect eyebrows arched so high that they were in danger of disappearing behind his bangs.

"You? Did you just say you were trying to make a fashion statement? Seriously?"

"Cut it out, Kanda," scowled Rei. "I'm getting better at this whole outfit compilation thing."

"That you are…" he said, yielding her some agreement as he surveyed her up and down. "Really, though, the scarf is unnecessary. Just take it off—you'll look fine without your so-called 'fashion statement.'"

"I like it," she said defensively. _More like I need it,_ she thought otherwise as she uncomfortably fiddled with the silken cloth.

"Off, Rei."

"No," said Rei stubbornly, twisting one of the ends of her scarf tightly around her arm.

"Yes," said Tyki's voice from behind, causing both of them to look at him. "Take it off, Rei. It's not a big deal."

Rei narrowed her eyes dangerously at Tyki's latent laughter; he approached the two of them, reaching out and ruffling Rei's hair as he looked at Kanda.

"Fancy meeting you here," said Tyki, nodding in greeting.

"We live on the same floor, Mikk," said Kanda with a much more tempered tone than the one he'd been using with Rei. "It's not coincidental."

"You're right," said Tyki with mocking thoughtfulness, "it's fate. We were destined to meet in this hallway, at 8:43 in the morning, with you dressed in your…" Tyki leaned his head lower to inspect what brand Kanda's polo was, "in your Ralph Lauren polo—that's _my_ brand, excuse you—and me in my…what brand _am_ I wearing today?" He checked his logo. "Oh, ew, why am I wearing Abercrombie and Fitch? That's for children…I have to go change…"

"Tyki, we get it—you're sarcastic," said Rei with the ghosts of a smile tugging at her lips as she rolled her eyes. "And Abercrombie and Fitch is _not_ for children—plenty of adults wear that brand, and I rather am liking the plaid oxford—"

"I look pretentious," said Tyki absentmindedly. "And I think the blue clashes with my skin. Yes, changing might be best."

"Wow," said Kanda dully, "you're more attentive to your clothes than I thought you were…"

Before Tyki could come up with any more of a sarcastic response, the door to Kate and Lavi's room open, and the two of them emerged, looking completely composed.

"Done?" said Rei lightly. "Actually—don't tell me. I don't want to know."

"We didn't do anything," said Lavi with a remorseful sigh. "It'd just be hella awkward if we were engaging in illicit activities with you three lurking right outside."

Kate looked rather relieved at this fact.

"Well, it's nearing nine," she said brilliantly. "Let's head upstairs? Are we supposed to pack anything?"

"I have a light bag packed," said Tyki. "If I need anything else, I'll just go buy them—the stuff I have here, I'm sending over to my house in Portugal."

"Good idea," said Rei. "Where do I send my stuff?"

"To my villa in Italy," said Tyki. "I have that taken care of."

"…In Italy?" said Rei, befuddled. "What in the world for? Why can't I just send my stuff to your place in Portugal?"

"Because in the event that we will need to retrieve the material," said Tyki, "I'd rather you not be in Portugal meeting my family. And if I send my stuff over to Portugal, then that'll give Road some sort of…strange memoir of me and let her be temporarily satisfied with my transparent presence."

"…How much thought did you put into this?" said Rei warily.

"A lot."

"None, apparently," said Kate dubiously. "What's wrong with Rei meeting your family?"

"Lots of things," he said darkly.

He didn't expound upon his vague statement, and Rei knew enough about the history and current shakiness Tyki held with his brother to push for a clearer explanation.

"Allen," said Lenalee's amused voice from two doors down as it cracked open, "if you could please hurry up with your bags…"

"I can't find my camera!" said Allen, his tone panicky. "Where the hell did it go? I thought I left it here, right on this desk!"

"I don't know," said Lenalee patiently. "Didn't Cross-san borrow it?"

"He did? When? That's so embarrassing—he could've asked so I could've deleted some of them!"

"And what exactly what would you have deleted, Allen?" said Lenalee sternly.

"Er…pictures of…um…"

"Oi!" called Lavi down the hallway. "Hurry up and come out, you two—we can hear your entire conversation!"

"Oh, shit," cursed Allen. "They're out there?"

"Indeed we are," said Tyki, more than amused. "Since when have you two been sleeping in the same room?"

Lenalee stepped out into view, a hand propped up on her hip in a most un-Lenalee-like fashion.

"We were not sleeping together, Mr. Mikk," she said, feigning crossness. "Kindly refrain from making ridiculous assumptions that only apply to you in such scenarios."

Tyki whistled, wincing.

"Damn," he said. "She's gotten sassy."

"I'm just kidding, Mikk-san," laughed Lenalee as Allen emerged from the room, shutting the door behind him. He looked considerably frazzled. "We're just hanging out."

"Mm-hm," said Rei skeptically, grinning at Allen suggestively. "Allen, you'll be giving me a nice little update on your status, mm?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," mumbled Allen, looking slightly abashed.

Rei snuck a glance at Kanda, who seemed absolutely unperturbed but the incongruity of the entire situation.

Ah. He seemed to have gotten over Lenalee.

Or maybe he hadn't been into her to begin with. Probably so.

* * *

"Rei. Where are you?" said Eiji strictly through the static-y reception that the elegant private jet so generously gave Rei's iPhone.

"In a…plane," said Rei vaguely, her eyes scanning over a small calculus textbook.

"And why would you be in a plane?" he said.

"Because my boss said I needed to be in the plane," said Rei, flipping her page calmly.

Tyki, who was lying his head on her lap, began to trace a finger up and down her thigh; his touch was very prevalent through her thin jeans.

"No. I thought I made it clear that this entire ridiculous shenanigan is _over_, Rei."

"My boss is very scary." Rei moved uncomfortably away from Tyki's touch.

"Beat him up."

"I can't. He's armed and dangerous."

Tyki scooted closer to Rei and continued to trace through her jeans.

"Then _disarm_ him and kick him in all the vital areas, Rei. Are you my daughter or not?"

"Indeed I am," she muttered. "Our violent tendencies are remarkably alike—no wonder we're related. But no can do, Otou-san, I'm on a plane and there's nothing you can do about it. If and when I come back, though, I'd like to find you. Where will you be?"

"I have no idea," was the vague answer.

"Oh, great. Well, you'll still be employed by Tyki's family, so it won't be hard to find you, right?"

"I suppose."

"Excellent. Now, in the mean time, why don't you kick Satsuma in all her vital areas—"

"She doesn't have as…prominent of a vital area as a male would, Rei," said Eiji, though Rei could detect large bouts of temptation in his voice.

"Cut off that huge rack of hers that she mostly got from plastic surgery then."

Tyki abruptly stopped painting patterns on Rei's legs and looked up at her curiously.

"Tempting as that is, I cannot," sighed Eiji. "Very well then—call me when you land. I believe we're moving out today back to Portugal as well."

"I see," said Rei. "I'll see you later then."

"Mm."

Rei hung up and looked down at Tyki, who was staring at her book.

"Dear, now whose breasts were you suggesting be cut off?"

"Your fiancée's."

"A brilliant plan, except that chest of hers is really her only redeeming aspect."

"They're all fake anyway," said Rei mildly.

Cross climbed into the jet before Tyki could reply, his expression unreadable.

"Morning, kids," said the photographer complacently.

"Morning…" was the unanimous half-hearted response, except for Kate, who simply frowned at his entrance and continued stroking Lavi's hair as he lied on her lap.

"Marian, where exactly are we going?" asked Lavi wearily.

"It's a secret," said Cross pompously. "In the meantime, all of you relax as I go and to the separate room and—"

"Lavi and I have already called the separate room," smiled Kate. "We will, of course, relinquish it once you decide to tell us what's going on."

"Kate Schrödlich," growled Cross, "I am the figure of authority here, and it would do you good to actually _listen_ to your elders—"

"I don't like surprises," said Allen sourly. He was sitting with Lenalee on a smaller bench, seeing as Tyki had sprawled out completely on the one he and Rei were sitting on. "Just tell us where we're going. And give me back my camera while you're at it."

"Shut up, Walker, before I tell everyone about the adorable pictures you took of Lenalee—oh, wait, too late," said Cross vindictively.

"You mean the ones where I was sleeping?" said Lenalee nonchalantly as Allen went red. "I already saw those. I liked them."

"Wait, you saw them?" said Allen, turning even darker.

"Yeah. What was there to hide?" said Lenalee, now inspecting her perfect manicure. "It wasn't like you were taking pictures of me while I was showering." She swiveled her gaze to Allen and narrowed her deep chocolate eyes. "Or did you?"

Allen looked aghast at the suggestion.

"I would never do that!"

"I thought so," smiled Lenalee. "See, Mikk-san, this is the definition of an _innocent_ relationship."

"Bo-oring," yawned Tyki, taking the textbook out of Rei's hands and flinging it aside. It missed Kanda's ear by a fraction of an inch. "Anyone want to do something? A game of cards?"

"I'll pass. Now, I'm going to go sleep in that separate room and no one is to bother me--"

"You still haven't told us where we're going!" said Kate indignantly, right as the jet's engine roared to life.

Rei thought Cross's gaze flickered to Tyki hastily before swiveling back to meet Kate's glare.

"I'll tell you later," he said airily. "Now, you children be good until we arrive."

"What about our managers?" asked Lenalee suddenly, as if she'd forgotten all about them up to that point. (In all honesty, Rei had forgotten about them too.)

"…Who?" said Cross with polite bemusement.

"I sent Reever back to Japan," said Kanda. "He's useless."

"Oh, but Miranda…" said Lenalee worriedly.

"I sent her back too," said Kanda.

"Kanda!" said Lenalee crossly. "You can't just send _my_ manager wherever you want!"

"Well seeing as you were too busy with the moyashi, I figured I might as well," he answered coolly.

"You could've asked," said Lenalee sternly.

"Breaking up this childish argument," said Cross dryly, "we will be landing in a few hours, so please get yourselves straightened out. And be on your best behavior."

"What are we?" said Lavi disdainfully. "Middle school children?"

"Nope," replied Cross. "Kindergartners."

Rei let out a breath as Cross disappeared from sight.

"Oh well," she said absentmindedly. "It can't be too bad—where we're going."

"Seriously," agreed Tyki, taking her hand and putting it on his head. "Stroke my hair."

"…What?"

"Like Kate is. To Bookman. I'm jealous."

"Oh, shut up."

"You know," said Tyki dryly as Rei reached over for a magazine and flipped it open, "wherever we're going, it better deepen our relationship. You won't even stroke my hair—that's saying something."

"Yes, yes," she said vaguely, "we'll become best friends forever and have a lovely, dandy time before we moved to the next destination in two weeks."

"Mm-hm…"

It was funny how the most casual statements could be the most ironic in retrospect.

Because in hindsight, Rei could've never been more wrong.

* * *

_A few hours later_

Tyki just stared out the window.

He knew this airport. He knew this language.

He sure as hell knew that the sign hanging only meters away from him—all that was separating them was a superficial piece of glass—distinctly read, "Welcome to Portugal!"

He felt Rei lean in her seat over to look at his face, obviously disturbed by his sudden change in demeanor—they had been in the middle of a poker game, all of them laughing hysterically when Lavi had been stripped down to his boxers—and he could feel her breath lingering close to his ear.

"Tyki?" she said anxiously.

"Where's Marian?" he said, his normally smooth voice suddenly rough.

"Um…in the separate room, I suspect," she answered. "Are you…um…okay? You just sorta stopped…laughing."

"Geez," said Lavi, looking down at his hands as he buttoned his shirt—Allen had so generously returned Lavi's clothing to him on the promise of a check of five hundred pounds. "Back to being Moody Mikk?"

"Bookman," said Tyki flatly, "look out the window and tell me what language you see on the billboard. Better yet, tell me what it says."

"Ooh, where are we?" said Lavi, peering out the window beside him. "Hey, that's Portuguese! And it says 'Welcome to Portugal,' dumbass, I thought you could…_oh_." The British model's face suddenly dawned with understanding, and he looked at Tyki uneasily.

"Precisely," said Tyki stiffly, standing up as the plane rolled slowly towards a terminal. "Now someone kindly ask Marian exactly why we're in Portugal when I specifically asked _not_ to be here."

"Because your brother called my phone," replied Cross, emerging from the adjoining room, "and he offered precisely what I wanted—a chance to shoot in your palace."

"You—"

"Before you call it underhanded," interrupted Cross, "I only did what was best for the group."

"Best for the group?" said Tyki with icy fury. "No, Marian, all you're thinking about is _yourself_ and the results _you_ can produce—I'm sure the public will really fancy a bunch of portraits of _dead_ people when you're finished!"

"Dead people?" retorted Cross. "They're your family—why the hell would they kill you?"

"Oh, and I'm guessing Kanda and the Noah family are on _real_ great terms, aren't they?"

"Why wouldn't they be? And you aren't worried for Kanda, you idiot—you're worried about whatever is going on between your twisted family and Rei's—"

"You're an ass—run your damn spontaneity against us, won't you?"

"Forget it," snapped Cross. "What's happened has already happened; I've dragged you here, and you all will _stay_, or you can forget about this collaboration—"

"Oh," said Tyki furiously, "and you don't think I can just kick you out of my own house?"

"No," said Cross frostily, "because your brother has made it quite clear that he's more than willing to host us."

"You sound like a child right now, Marian," said Lavi with uncustomary coldness.

The Brit's quiet statement managed to enact the result that Tyki's heated argument could not; the atmosphere quelled from one of fury to one of wariness almost immediately. Cross, who had always respected Lavi's opinion to some degree, held back his retort as he turned to him.

"And why would you say that, Bookman?" said Cross chillingly.

Lavi tilted his head to one side, his tone surprisingly blasé as he spoke. "Mikk has _clear_ and _definite_ political issues in his house—it is common knowledge for those…in the loop that the Noah family, delightful though they are in doses, are not the safest hosts, especially for Kanda."

"Kanda?" sputtered the redheaded photographer. "Why would Kanda—I thought this was about Rei?"

"It is," said Tyki monotonously.

"It's not," said Rei exasperatedly. "I'm quite capable of handling myself, Tyki—it is clearly about Kanda."

Tyki shot her a glare though, and for once, and much to his gratefulness, Rei bit her lip and sat fully back against the couch. She seemed to know that the conversation was much deeper than she'd perceived it to be.

"So give me an explanation," demanded Cross of no one in particular.

It was Kanda who let out an annoyed breath and gave up the information that no one else was sure to reveal.

"The Japanese and Spanish underground organizations want me dead," said the Japanese model shortly, "because even though they hate each other, they hate me more because my 'relative' who was once the head of the yakuza is now dead and they think I'm traditionally next in line. Honestly, I really don't give a damn about the yakuza and would just like to stay _alive_, but they don't seem to understand that. So ever since there was a change of power about nine years ago, I've been on the run with a bunch of people trying to kill me, and whenever I'm in Europe, people try to kill me there too, so to make things short: I'm _not_ staying at Mikk's house because I have an exponentially higher chance of getting killed. And I like my life, thank you."

Kanda's explanation was much more than anyone else had expected—there had been parts of it that Tyki had not known, and by the look on Lavi's face, he was not alone. Rei looked like she had eaten a particularly rotten egg, while everyone else who had not known a bit of the history was speechless. Kanda gave another irritated sigh and crossed his arms, averting his gaze and staring determinedly at the wall.

"I am not so unprofessional as to back out of the shoot," continued Kanda evenly. "I've been looking forward to this collaboration as my chance to debut on the international stage—in my case, it is safer for me to be on a higher level of fame than to be obscure—and if Marian really wants to shoot here in Portugal, then I'll stay elsewhere and just show up at the Noah residence for work. Don't expect any more than that."

"That's _precisely_ the professional attitude I wanted everyone to take," said Cross with an ill-concealed grin.

Rei threw Cross an incredibly disgusted look.

"You want Kanda to be perfectly fine in an atmosphere where he can be killed any minute," she said coldly.

Cross returned her glare equally well. "Exactly. And I really don't give a damn if you think I'm eccentric, arrogant, or selfish—because I _am_ all of the above—but being that way definitely got me my reputation as the world's best photographer. So if you're serious about it, then you'll all be willing to cooperate."

And, for the umpteenth time now, a unanimous silence. Tyki was still furious. Still wanted to beat Cross into a blood pulp and demand some respect. But he glanced at Rei's face, and noticed that it was set in stony resolution.

The sight, for some reason, calmed him. Perhaps it was because only the night before, she had so definitively said that she was not going to be a model any longer. Not after this shoot. And as the models around the room began to nod slowly, starting off with Kanda and ending with Lavi, Tyki simply continued to look at Rei, trying to elicit some sort of telepathic response, some affirmation of safety.

Her jade eyes met his briefly as the inhabitants of the room looked her expectantly. A vague smile crawled to her lips, and she nodded. A sign that It Would All Be Fine.

And then all gazes turned to him, beckoning a response out of him, a sign from _him_, the infinite troublemaker, to accept the consensus and also agree to Make Things Work.

Tyki abruptly realized that it was the first time that they'd actually been serious about cooperation.

He gave a reluctant nod, slowly, but surely.

"I'm in."

* * *

As the limo drew closer to its destination and the palace came into sight, Rei finally understood why Cross had been so adamant to conduct a photoshoot at such a location.

Because the Queluz Palace was nothing short of amazingly breathtaking. Ornate, magnificent, and undeniably intimidating, it looked more like a piece of artwork than an actual residency, a product of ingenious architecture that Rei believed could only exist in pictures.

Lavi let out a low whistle—judging by his face, it was also his first time seeing it in person.

"Incredible," the Bookman said, his one green eye glued to the sight. "I've read about it, but seeing it in person is just…phenomenal."

"It's often been compared to the Palace of Versailles," said Cross, "and was made around the same time, but Versailles has a much more distinctive Baroque aura, which was influenced by the Italians. Quelez, on the other hand, was one of the last great Rococo-styled palaces to be built in Europe, and was almost like a final display of the Portuguese extravagance of the time."

"Because that extravagance began after the discovery of Brazilian gold in 1690," said Lavi, nodding. "Yeah, but then by the mid-nineteenth century, it fell from favor—"

"Lavi, dear," said Kate airily, "I love you, but I really don't care. Could you please keep quiet? Thanks. I love you."

"No problem," said Lavi with a sigh.

"You _live_ here?" said Rei, turning to Tyki, thunderstruck. The Portuguese model was completely unaffected by the amount of admiration his colleagues were holding for his place of residency.

"Yes, I do," he said with a small smile, pulling her close to him and wrapping an arm around her waist. "Do you like it?"

"_Like_ it? It's beautiful," she replied, grinning. "Little rich boy now, aren't you, Mr. Mikk?"

Tyki scoffed and buried his head by her neck, his mouth ruffling the cloth of the scarf that separated their skin-to-skin contact.

"Aren't you hot?" he asked. "Why don't you take off the scarf? Let them see that you belong to me."

"Possessive little rich boy," said Rei acidly. "No, I am not going to subject myself to eternal embarrassment, Tyki."

"You should show the hickey to…" murmured Tyki quietly.

Rei did not quite catch his statement, and turned her head clearer to his.

"Sorry?"

"Nothing."

But Rei had the vague impression that the name he had said had not been Kanda, but instead a two-syllable one that ended with a "-loo" sound. And it didn't take much for her to figure out…it was quite clear who the actual person was whom Tyki was unwilling to meet.

It seemed that this trip really wasn't going to be fun and games after all.

* * *

A tall, long-haired man who actually resembled strongly Tyki was at the front steps of the Queluz Palace to greet the limo as it arrived in the driveway. Dressed in an impeccable suit with his hair groomed back in a ponytail that only contributed to the striking similarity with Tyki, Cyril Kamelot wore an expression of utmost jubilation as the doors opened and the models began to climb out.

"Welcome!" he beamed, stretching his arms out with flourish. "We are so pleased to have you here at the Queluz Palace! A pleasure to meet you, Cross Marian—so glad you decided to work with us—" He shook hands quickly with Cross, then proceeded to Lavi and shook his as well. "—Lavi Bookman, a fine, fine model, looking brilliant as always—a sheer honor to have you here! Ah, and the marvelous Kate Schrödlich! Your pulchritude is certainly just as stunning as your pictures show! A pleasure, m'dear." He kissed Kate's hand chastely before moving on. "Lenalee Lee! Such a cute child—welcome, dear!" Just as he had with Kate, Cyril kissed Lenalee's hand before moving on to Kanda.

If Kanda and Cyril had any sort of rocky relationship, Rei couldn't tell at all. Cyril did not even blink upon seeing Kanda, and addressed him as warmly as he had any of the others. It was Kanda whose expression was obviously guarded, exceptionally wary. But he let Cyril shake his hand, and even though Kanda tried to pull his hand away fairly quickly, Cyril grasped it in both of his and smiled charmingly.

"Yuu Kanda. An honor, sir, an honor. Your pictures are nothing short astonishing, you know? I imagine you've been giving our Tyki some difficulty, eh? No matter, no matter—we're quite glad to have you here!"

Cyril then approached Tyki. Tyki was taller than his brother by a mere bit, and, upon observing them side-by-side, Rei thought privately that had Tyki not told her before that he was adopted, she seriously would've taken the two to be blood-related brothers. Cyril's greeting, though, was more heartfelt than any of his previous ones, for he simply threw his arms around Tyki in an embrace.

"Brother!" said Cyril happily. "It's been so long! Road's been getting lonely, you know—she's starting to ignore me because she wants to see you—"

Tyki opened his mouth, his expression obviously dictating disgust and a desire to acerbically respond, but he caught Rei's warning glance and stopped. Heaving a sigh, he reached up and patted Cyril awkwardly on the back.

"Okay, Cyril, we get it," said Tyki patiently. "Good to see you again too."

"Oh," said Cyril, straightening up and looking at Tyki seriously, "that was a better response than I'd expected. No matter, no matter—we'll discuss much later. And finally…"

Cyril's thin, golden eyes landed on Rei, who met his gaze evenly. Her mouth curved into a polite and dignified smile, and she held out her hand.

Cyril took it just as sophisticatedly and brought it to his lips, his touch cold and contrasting starkly with Tyki's normal warmth. Rei repressed a shudder and kept her smile in place.

"Our guest of honor," said Cyril, smiling. "It's a pleasure to have you here, Rei Matsumomo. Those eyes of yours really remind me of Eileen's—such a fire and brilliance. It is truly an honor to host you."

"Thank you," said Rei pleasantly. "It's nice to be here."

"That's wonderful to hear," replied the Portuguese royal. His eyes flickered to Tyki and then back to Rei. "So are you two still…"

"Yes," said Tyki firmly. The finality in his tone made Cyril's eyes narrow by a miniscule amount, but the older brother simply shrugged and let go of Rei's hand, much to her relief. She shook it slightly, as if trying to shake out the iciness, causing Tyki's eyes to linger on it for a few brief seconds before taking it into his own.

"Into the house then," said Cyril, gesturing for them to ascend the stairs. "It's really quite rude of me to keep you standing here so long—my butlers will get your things and the maids have already arranged your rooms. Are you hungry, perhaps? Afternoon tea is being served!"

"Where's Road?" asked Tyki.

"She's in the kitchen with the twins," the brother responded. "I didn't tell her you were coming—it was so last-minute—but she'll be quite delighted with the surprise."

"You might find Road a bit…quirky," said Tyki to Rei. "She's quite amiable though—hopefully you two will get along."

"I don't doubt it," she said, leaving the heat and stepping into the welcomed air-conditioned palace.

The interior of the palace, like the outside, was ornate and grand. Oil paintings from centuries before hung majestically on the deep red walls, and beautiful chandeliers gilded with gold hung from the high ceilings. Even the ceilings were painted in intricate patterns and designs, murals of some sort, and Rei gave a small smile as she noticed Lavi's one visible eye darting all around the hallway, trying to absorb all the little details.

Rei also noticed Kanda's nearly jerky movements as he walked alongside them. His stride, normally suave and confident, was hesitant and halted as his piercing blue eyes, like Lavi's, were swiveling around his surroundings. Unlike Lavi though, his shoulders were tense and his back rigid; his hand kept twitching, as if expecting to grab something out of his pocket at an instant's notice.

"Kanda," she said, quietly enough so that only he and Tyki could hear.

Kanda met her gaze distractedly.

"What?"

"Calm down," she said soothingly. "They're not going to do anything—all of us are here."

"Cyril won't do anything," said Tyki. "He's not that daring…and I'm here—nothing should happen."

"Comforting," said Kanda curtly.

"Seriously, Kanda," said Tyki with an exhalation. "It's fine—nothing's going to happen. Stop squirming around—you look like you're about to piss in your pants."

"Mikk—"

"C'mon, guys," sighed Rei, "be mature. Tyki, that was unnecessary, and Kanda, it was kinda true, so stop fidgeting."

Cyril's voice carried down from the front of the queue, halting Kanda's more-likely-than-not nasty response.

"To the right, gentlemen and ladies. Welcome to the dining hall!"

They all walked through the entrance effortlessly and assembled awkwardly at the sidelines; Tyki entered second to last, right before Cyril, and was immediately bulleted full force by a small feminine figure dressed in a frilly dress.

"_Tyki!_" was the thrilled exclamation as the girl wrapped her arms around Tyki's waist tightly.

"Oh, Road," winced Tyki as he reached down and picked her up easily, "you're starting to hurt when you do that…hm…you feel heavier. Did you gain weight?"

"Tyki!" said Road indignantly. "You're not supposed to ask a lady that!"

Road Kamelot was…what was the word Tyki had used previously? Quirky. Yes, she was extremely quirkly. The Gothic and somewhat Lolita style of her attire was strongly out of place in modern fashion, but she could pull it off wonderfully. She had a mischievous smile and, like her siblings, dark gold eyes, with her hue almost bordering amber. She saw Rei first, and her smile only widened.

"It's your bodyguard!" said Road excitedly, pointing at Rei as she directed her statement to Tyki.

"Road, pointing is rude," said Tyki chidingly, setting her down on the floor. "Greet her properly. Rei, this is Road, Road, Rei."

"Nice to meet you," said Rei awkwardly.

Road grinned. "Nice to meet you too. Have you and Tyki done it yet?"

"Road, what kind of question—what the hell have you been learning in school?" said Tyki, his tone completely shocked as Rei flushed to a bright shade of red.

"Oh, the teachers don't teach us that," said Road, presumably bored. "I learned it from the boys—they're much more interesting."

"Cyril!" said Tyki, now rounding on his brother. "What kind of school did you send her to?"

"A very prestigious one," said Cyril, equally stunned. "Road, dear, where in the world did you—"

"Jeez, you two," said a soft, fluid voice from the pantry doorway, "it's not a big deal. Let it go."

The group looked up to see the newcomer, a tall, comely, voluptuous woman who was dressed in a white oxford, black skinnies, and suspenders. Her hair was tied in a loose ponytail, her lips adorned with a seductive scarlet, and her gleaming golden eyes accentuated by nothing by the barest traces of coffee eyeliner.

Rei immediately felt her stomach clench. She knew this face. Had seen it only once in a photo, but knew that that kind of beauty did not appear without lasting impact. Her heart fluttered. In unease, in jealousy…

Tyki spoke first, his voice wry and attempted to be normal.

"Hello, Lulu."

So this was Lulubell Kamelot.

* * *

**Free Talk**:

Hey everyone! I'm so sorry for not updating in months! Things have been crazy hectic--April and May are always my worst months--but hopefully I can sink back into my ritutalized updating schedule sooner or later. I hope everyone's been doing well, and again, I'm really sorry! I made this chapter quite a bit longer, but....

I'm also sorry for this chapter being so...transition-ey. I know that the beginning seems very...filler-ish, which it kinda was because it was transitioning, but typing this became a lot easier once they met Cyril. Speaking of him, I hate introducing new characters because I'm always worried they'll be OOC. Cyril may be too happy. Sorry. Haha, and then now there's Road and Lulu to worry about...*sigh* This is going to be stressful.

But I hope you didn't find this chapter too difficult or boring to read, and I'm really quite sorry for the quality of my work lately...I hope it will get better~ I've just been sorta in a rut for Diamonds lately. :(

Reviews would be lovely though! A nice sign that you have not quite abandoned me completely. :) Thanks for all your reviews last chapter, and I would love if you did so again.

As always, discussion on LJ maybe tomorrow or the day after if you're interested. :)

xoxo,  
m.n


	35. Ignorance is Bliss

**Chapter 34: Ignorance is Bliss**

Rei found her hands busying themselves with the edges of her scarf as she looked at Lulubell with scrutinizing eyes. Their gazes locked but for a brief second before Lulu's smirk widened, and she continued her analysis of each individual in the room.

"Good to see you back, Tyki," said the Portuguese female, her voice sultry and lilting. "And you brought your friends back as well—how delightful."

Tyki didn't seem to know what to say in reply, so his lips simply contorted in a twisted smile of some sort, and he gestured at the table.

"Well, I suppose I can play the host," he said with limited flourish as he turned to the rest of the modeling crew. "Shall we partake?"

The group seated themselves around the long dining table; Cyril sat at the head of the table, merrily watching each individual as servers entered to unveil what apparently was supposed to be a light snack but came off to be a heavy lunch of some sort. Steaming, massive amounts of seafood were presented in stainless silver plates on the deep red tablecloth, ranging from clams to cod to lobster; the spice-drenched aromas filled Rei's nose, and the distinct smell of chili peppers made her eyes water unexpectedly.

"Wine, anyone?" said Cyril hopefully.

"I thought you said it was 'afternoon tea,'" said Tyki dubiously, eyeing the dishes with amusement. "Rei, would you like to eat?"

"I'm not hungry," she smiled, "but I'll try a few dishes…I'm fine without wine though."

"You sure?" said Cyril. "We have quite the variety…Rosé, port, Vinho Verde…"

"I'm good," Rei answered.

"I'll have some," said Tyki to a server. "Glass of Vinho Verde."

"I'll have Rosé," said Lavi.

"Port for me," said Kate, already eying some of the more exotic seafood with apprehension. Rei could just imagine the innate calorie calculator whizzing in Kate's head as the German model tried to assess whether she could take the risk and eat something foreign. "Maybe I'll just stick with desserts…"

"Do you have aguardente? I need something that'll perk me up," said Cross, helping himself to liberal amounts of food.

"Certainly," said Cyril. "And for you, Miss Lee? Mr. Kanda?"

"Tea," said Kanda bluntly, obviously not touching any of the dishes and instead leaning back in his seat, his fingers deftly toying with the knife nestled closely to his plate.

"Me too," said Lenalee. "But um…I'll try some of the Port wine—it's sweeter, right?"

"Indeed," said Cyril. "Miss Rei? Are you sure you don't want anything?"

"I'm fine," said Rei, her actions mimicking Kanda's as she simply fiddled with her eating utensils. She could not help but feel apprehensive, largely aware that Road, who was seated on Tyki's right, was glancing surreptitiously at her. Lulu's gaze was more direct, since she was sitting right across from Rei, and those gleaming eyes of hers sent shivers that Rei could not repress down her spine.

It was in scenarios like these, it seemed, that Tyki was extra attentive and could discern the slightest bit of anxiety in Rei's profile. His left hand slipped onto her right knee, firmly and comfortingly; unfortunately, Rei had not been expecting the contact, and she jerked back slightly, eliciting a somewhat patronizing look from Lulubell.

Rei glared at Tyki, whose lips were curved in the faintest smile as he accepted his glass of wine from the server with a nod of appreciation. Her glare was effectively ignored as Tyki generously heaped food onto his plate; instead, Tyki's hand slipped slightly up her thigh, his touch light and teasing, causing the slightest bit of red to tinge Rei's cheeks as she looked determinedly at the distorted reflection in her plate. She was growing increasingly aware of the bemused look Lulu was giving them, probably a reflection of Rei's mounting discomfort. A quiet scoff rumbled at the base of Tyki's lips as he bit into a shrimp, his golden eyes glancing in Rei's direction as she let loose a soft hiss in annoyance. Catching her eye, Tyki simply smirked broadly and licked his lips in a seductive fashion.

"So, Rei," chimed Road sweetly as Rei slipped her hand to her leg in order to push Tyki's off, "do you like Tyki?"

"Hm?" said Rei distractedly, finding her fingers entwined with Tyki's in a hand-wrestling match of some sort as she attempted to halt his inappropriate behavior. "Like him? No, I don't, I think he's an idiot."

Tyki pushed her hand down firmly against her thigh as he smiled, leaning ever closer to her face.

"Excuse me?" he purred. "I beg to differ—"

"I'm going to kill you once we're alone," she hissed. "You…"

"You know, Road," said Tyki thoughtfully, "Rei is actually very affectionate to me in private. She's always nice and never hits me and even comes onto me herself—"

"I'm not kidding, Tyki," Rei deadpanned. "I'll kill you."

"Mm-hm…"

"_Tyki Mikk_."

Tyki laughed, finally removing his hand from her leg and instead using it to help heap food on her plate. She let out an aggravated breath, pushing his arm aside and helping herself.

"No need to mother me, Tyki."

"You just seemed a bit tense, love."

"I'm fine, _dear_," she said with acerbic sarcasm.

Cyril cleared his throat abruptly, causing them to snap out of their banter. It occurred to Rei that most of the inhabitants of the room were staring at them, save for Lavi, who was examining a strangely shaped mussel with astounding concentration. Perhaps it was not normal for them to be…what was the word? Flirting. Flirting with each other.

Rei blanched. Ew.

"So…" said Tyki, evidently thinking quickly in order to give the conversation a detour, "where are the twins? I thought you said there were here?"

"They went out for a little street performance," chirped Road.

"Goodness gracious," sighed Cyril. "I keep telling them that if they're going to set themselves up as _professional_ rock stars, they can't keep going out onto the streets with their guitars and whatnot alone—it's too eye-catching…"

"But it sounds like fun," admitted Tyki.

"Don't you _dare_ go with them, Tyki," said Lulu, her eyes narrowing in warning. "It'd be a complete disaster."

"I can definitely sing, Lulu."

"That's not the point."

For some reason, the conversation didn't seem to be very relaxed, even between the Noah members. Rei guessed it was understandable; Lulu was Tyki's first love and had betrayed him, and Cyril liked secretly planning out Tyki's life. Regardless, though, it was not a comforting atmosphere. Especially when Lulu, Cyril, and Road seemed to constantly just _look_ at her.

"Excuse me," said Rei genially, "where's the restroom?"

She didn't really need to go—it just seemed like a good time to duck out of the way.

"Oh, the closest one is actually the public restroom used for when tourists come, so that one's just down the hall and to your left," said Cyril. "But if you don't want to use that one, upstairs—"

"No, that's fine," said Rei, standing up and readjusting her scarf. "I'll be right back."

"Don't get lost," said Tyki.

Rei scoffed and left, not willing to engage in another round of banter. She headed down the elegant hallway, her heeled footsteps muffled by the patterned rug underneath her feet. To the left…she found the entrance to the bathroom and pushed open the door, revealing a beautiful bathroom with black marbled sinks, white cashmere sofas, and dimly lit lanterns that hung on the black tiled walls. Rei let out a small breath of admiration and stepped in front of the long mirror, examining her appearance. It was really too hot with the scarf…she let out a breath and took it off, welcoming the breeze around her neck, and then entered a stall for some privacy.

The door of the bathroom creaked open, causing Rei to immediately tense. Perhaps it was Kate? The footsteps clacked closer, and she could see the color of the newcomers' shoes as they stopped, evidently in front of the sink. Rei was disappointed to see that they were not the red pumps that Kate had been wearing, but instead a classy set of black stiletto boots. She flushed the toilet and opened the door to her stall, startled to see that it was actually Lulubell standing at the sinks, aimlessly washing her hands.

"Hello," said Lulu with a smile.

"Hi," said Rei, somewhat disconcerted. She strode slowly to another sink and turned the handle, letting the water run over her hands. She could not shake the feeling that Lulubell had only come to the restroom to speak privately with her.

"So," began Lulu in a relaxed tone, "I just had a few things to ask you. Do you mind, Miss Rei?"

Bingo.

"Rei is fine," the Japanese girl answered, rubbing soap over her long fingers. "Go ahead."

"Well, for starters, where's Eiji?"

"He…said he was going to come to Portugal today," said Rei. "With Satsuma Aiko."

"Ah, well, I thought he was going to come with you…"

"We didn't know we were coming."

Obviously.

"Ah…oh dear, he'll have an absolutely horrid time with Satsuma…" Lulu let out a small chuckle.

Rei could not bite back the acidity that was accumulating in her throat.

"If you think she's awful," said Rei, unable to keep the biting edge out of her tone, "why'd you arrange for her marriage with Tyki?"

Lulu's smile widened as she watched Rei twist the handle of the faucet with one deft movement and turn to face her, her green eyes glaring.

"Oh my," said Lulu, "you're quite attached."

"Let's not exaggerate," said Rei coolly, reaching to the side and picking up a paper towel to dry her hands.

"It's quite clear, Rei. I hadn't expected Tyki to be so…relaxed around you."

"To tell the truth, I hadn't either," said Rei somewhat snappishly.

"Mm," said Lulu, completely unfazed with Rei's rudeness. "He's very on guard around people, isn't he? I almost preferred him that way…he looks rather sentimental now. A shame though. You know your relationship can't last, sweetheart." Lulu looked Rei up and down, as if visually testing her for something. "You know, from Eiji's description, I really hadn't been expecting you to be rather attractive. I suppose that's what Tyki likes?"

"Why don't you go ask him?" said Rei acidly.

"Oh, heavens, no. He's much too guarded around me. I can get answers from you much easier…for example…" Lulubell brought a hand up to Rei's chin and tilted it up, exposing Rei's neck to the Portuguese female. Rei inhaled sharply and took a step back, knocking Lulu's hand away as her green eyes narrowed.

"What are you doing?" she snarled.

"Is that a hickey?" asked Lulu conversationally.

Rei felt her cheeks burn instantly and immediately brought a hand up to her neck, covering the embarrassing mark. Damn…

"So that's what the scarf was for…" sighed Lulu. "No one wears summer scarves in Portugal—it's much too humid. I thought you were hiding something…"

Rei didn't really know how to reply, so she simply bit her lower lip and kept quiet. Putting on the scarf now seemed a bit silly, but she could not bring herself to move her hand away. Lulubell looked at her with an amused expression on her face.

"Why are you embarrassed? If you've gotten that far with Tyki, which is really old news, really, I can hardly see the reason you should be abashed about such an insignificant mark."

"Far?" sputtered Rei. "He made this for fun! We have certainly _not_ gotten that far."

Lulu stared for a few seconds in silence.

"…What?" she said. "Wait, you two haven't slept together?"

"Not…that way," muttered Rei, her face growing redder. "Just letting you know, this is a really awkward conversation to be having with you—"

"And he's _fine_ with not sleeping with you?" interrupted Lulubell, shocked.

"Well, no, but—"

"Then why are you two still together?"

"Because he's fine with it!" Rei snapped. "Look, this is none of your business—if you want to prod about it, go ask Tyki, and he'll be more than happy to give you a long rant on how prudish I am, but this is really not the conversation I would like to be having with you."

"Wow," said Lulu, seemingly winded by the news and therefore ignoring Rei effectively, "he hasn't slept with you. That's…wow. Not like him."

"Is your entire family under the misconception that a relationship _has_ to include sex?" said Rei dryly.

Lulu just blinked.

"Yes."

Rei frowned. "I've made it clear to him that we won't be doing it any time soon. He's all right with it."

"He is not," laughed Lulubell. "He is definitely not. Rei, with all due respect, Tyki likes sex. I guarantee you that your relationship won't last long without it. If you keep—"

"I think we're fine," said Rei lightly, turning around to leave. "I don't need your advice."

"Seriously," said Lulu, her eyebrows raised. "This is coming from me as a woman, not as…whomever you distrust right now—sex is really rather delightful, and you'll find that your relationship is ten times smoother with it, especially when you need to get something you want. Eiji and I have had a ton of fun—"

Rei whipped around.

"Excuse me?"

Lulubell took a step back, startled.

"Eiji and I, we…" said the Noah, her voice trailing off at Rei's increasingly alarmed expression. "He didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"Eiji…he's my fiancé."

* * *

Rei was taking an abnormally long time in the restroom. Tyki was silently betting himself that she got lost on the way. Directionally-challenged woman…

Lulubell was gone too though, having excused herself to her room to take a call of some sort. The atmosphere was much more relaxed without her there; Lulu had an unexpectedly imposing aura, and Tyki could tell that it had been making Rei uncomfortable.

The door burst open, causing Tyki to look up, expecting to see Rei. Instead, however, in came two…colorfully dressed males, twins in their late teens, one with spiky black hair and the other with longer bleached blonde. Both wore liberal amounts of makeup, Debitto more eyeliner, while Jasdero had strange stitches around his mouth, probably self-imposed. The blonde held a microphone stand in each hand while his twin carried a sleek black guitar with a stereo system; both of them were sweating profusely, but wide grins were plastered on their faces.

"Yo," said Debitto, waving at the somewhat taken back group. "Got any places for us?"

"We're starving," said Jasdero, tossing the two stands in the corner of the room. "Hey, man," he said to a server, "could you get that for us? Just take it back to our room."

"Seriously?" said Tyki deprecatingly. "Just take them yourself, idiot."

"Ho, if it isn't Tyki. Finally came back?" sneered Debitto, taking Lulu's empty seat. "I thought Cyril said you weren't supposed to come back without that little bodyguard girl—where is she?"

"Lost," said Tyki simply. "She's probably freaking out right now—"

The door slammed open in the middle of his sentence; a breathless Rei entered, her face screwed up in an emotion that Tyki couldn't quite name, her scarf messily strewn on. Her eyes wildly darted around the room, landing immediately on Tyki, and completely seeing past the flamboyant twins, she walked over to him and pulled his arm harshly.

"Whoa," said Tyki, surprised with her shaken demeanor, "what's wrong?"

"I need to talk to you," she said in a low voice.

"What about—"

"Oi," said Jasdero, walking towards Rei. "You the bodyguard girl?"

Rei blinked, apparently having seen them for the first time, before nodding numbly. The blonde grinned, taking her hand and pulling her aside, examining her up and down. Debitto leapt across the table to join his twin, taking Rei's other hand and studying her face.

"Hm…not bad," they said simultaneously. "Kinda pretty."

"What are you two doing?" said Tyki wryly.

"_Way_ better than Eiji, eh?" said Debitto. "I was starting to think that his daughter would be horrid."

"You pass!" said Jasdero. "Welcome to the family!"

They encaged her in a bear hug, laughing all the while at Rei's completely winded expression. Tyki raised an eyebrow; this was definitely not their customary behavior, amiable though the twins were on the most part.

"Friendly family ya got, Mikk," said Lavi ironically.

"I know, right?" he replied.

"It's a bit nice that they're so accepting of Rei," said Kate, delicately drinking from her glass. "Lovely twins."

"Okay, you two," said Tyki. "You can stop hugging her now—you're choking her."

"Family, family, family. We got a new sister!" they chanted, ignoring Tyki completely.

"What are you two rambling on about?" the Portuguese model sighed, standing up and forcefully breaking them up. "She's not family—it's not like we're married or something silly—"

"Eh?" said Jasdero. "Who said anything about you guys being married?"

"You're dating?" said Debitto.

"Well, yeah," said Tyki lightly, tugging Rei away from the twins. "What were you talking about?"

The twins exchanged looks.

"Eiji's her dad, right?" they asked.

Tyki nodded, perplexed.

"Well then she's obviously family, once he and Lulu get married!"

There was a short pause.

"…What?" laughed Tyki. "Are you crazy? Where the hell did you get that?"

The door to the dining room creaked open for a third time, and Lulubell entered, her hand unconsciously tapping a cell phone against her thigh.

"Lulu!" chimed the twins.

"Hey, twins," she said distractedly, looking instead at Cyril. "Cyril…Eiji didn't tell her."

"…He didn't?"

"Apparently not. She didn't know."

"Know what?" said Tyki evenly.

"…You don't know either?" inquired Lulu.

"Obviously not. What are you talking about?"

"Can we talk—alone?" said Rei through gritted teeth.

Cyril nodded briefly.

"Yes…" he said absentmindedly, "it'd be best if you had some time to hear the news alone—I know it's a bit shocking, but…well, a private salon is right next to this room, so feel free to use it."

Rei nodded curtly and pulled a much bemused Tyki out of the room, letting the door slam indecorously shut behind them.

"Rei, what's going on?" queried Tyki as gently as he could, taking her atypical behavior in consideration. "You're acting quite abnormal—"

Only when they were in the safe in the confinements of the richly decorated salon room did Rei turn to face him; alarmingly enough, tears were trickling down her cheeks. Tyki quickly brought a hand up to her face and brushed them out of the way, his apprehension growing with every passing second of silence.

"What's going on?" he said quietly.

"Your sister," said Rei thickly, her voice strained to be even, "_Lulubell_, is engaged."

"Well, yeah, I know that. Is that so surprising?"

"To my father."

Tyki stared.

"…That was a joke, I'm sure—"

"It wasn't, Tyki!" she nearly screamed, retreating from him a few steps. "It's not a joke! My own dad—he's _forty-two_! And how old is she? Twenty-one? Twenty-two? He's _twice_ his age! Do—how can that even happen? I'm his daughter…and his wife-to-be is only three years older than me!"

Tyki could do nothing but stare. What kind of news was this? Lulubell was engaged to…Rei's _father_. It had to be a joke. There was no reason that this could happen—what was the point? He wasn't royalty. He wasn't a politician. What could there be to gain? It had to be a joke.

But it wasn't.

This explained quite a bit. The hints that he had so evidently missed. Eiji's adamant disapproval for Tyki and Rei's relationship—Tyki had brushed it aside as fatherly protection, but there _must_ have been more to it—Eiji must've known about Tyki and Lulu's past, and was therefore more than vehement towards Tyki. And all the subtle hints that even _Road_ had thrown at him—how Lulu's fiancé was "nice" but "sorta old," and then how Lulubell had heard about Cyril sending people over to the Balearic Isles to kidnap Rei. Of course Cyril would tell Eiji, best bodyguard in their arsenal…

Rei participated in the staring match for a few seconds before turning away, her hands covering her face as she looked away, her tears still sliding down her cheeks like a waterfall.

"I don't know who my dad is anymore," she said, her voice still strong despite her weak appearance. "He's changed so much—he used to laugh and joke all the time, but now, he's just so strict and…I never thought he'd remarry, I really didn't…and what does that make us now? If they marry…oh my gosh…y-you'd be my step-uncle. Oh my…" This realization seemed to double Rei's turmoil, for her expression turned from one of anger and hurt to one of plain despair; words seemed to fail her, and all she could do was cry.

It was obvious who was in the need of more comforting. Tyki, though shocked, could not say anything. Lulu was not his blood-sister; who she married was her business, and hers alone. True, it was nothing short of scandalous that she was marrying Rei's father, but…

He reached out and pulled Rei back against him, his fingers curling into her hair as he rested his chin against her head. They stood in silence for a few minutes; Tyki waited patiently for Rei's heartbeat to return to normal, for her breaths to slow down and for her iron grip on his shirt to loosen.

"Thanks," she said finally, making a movement to break away from him. Tyki firmly encaged her body against his, making sure that she did not move away.

"Was Lulu the one to tell you?" he questioned.

"…Yeah. But she thought I knew."

"How'd you get on the subject?"

Rei didn't answer.

"…Rei?"

"We were…um…talking about relationships," she answered vaguely.

"…I see," sighed Tyki, burying his nose in her shampoo-scented hair. "…Rei, there will be some things I need to clear up with the rest of my family. In the meantime, I'd like you to…refrain from speaking with them as much as possible."

"That's _im_possible," she said, tints of irony creeping back into her voice. "They all seem…too interested."

"Which is strange…why would they choose your father? It seems a bit…odd, don't you think?"

"…At this point, I don't really care," she mumbled. "I just want to find him and beat his face in."

"Point taken."

The door to the salon opened, causing Rei to jerk away from Tyki and look in its direction.

Surprisingly enough, it was Kanda.

"Kanda?" said Tyki. "Why are you here?"

"Your family wants you back," he said stiffly. "They said if Rei needs a moment, it's fine."

"You'll be fine then?" said Tyki to Rei, concerned.

She nodded, her lips twitching upward in a failed smile of reassurance.

"I'm fine. I'll just stay here for a while."

Tyki was not completely convinced, and for some reason, was vaguely worried that Rei would do something drastic if she were alone. He turned to Kanda, who arched an eyebrow at his inquiring gaze.

"What, Mikk?"

"Why don't you stay with her for a while?"

"…What?"

"I'm _fine,_ Tyki," said Rei sharply.

"I'll stay," said Kanda. "It's not like it's the most pleasant thing to be sitting with a family that I think will kill me at any moment, anyway."

"Touché," said Tyki, somewhat amused. "Well, Rei, calm down and don't do anything stupid."

"Why are you talking to me like I'm suicidal?"

"Bye, dear."

Tyki walked out of the room and shut the door behind him, running a hand through his hair as he let out a weary sigh.

Wow.

Less than two hours back in Portugal, and things were already hellish.

* * *

Kanda could tell that things were probably very wrong if Tyki actually encouraged him to stay alone with Rei.

Either Rei really _was_ suicidal, or she was bordering insanity and needed a babysitter. The Japanese male sighed and rolled his eyes as he sat down on a sofa, sprawling his long legs out over the empty seats. Rei sat across from him on a cushioned chair, her green eyes determinedly staring at the floor as she remained immersed in deep thoughts.

Kanda cleared his throat, causing her to look up.

"What's going on?" he said. "Is something wrong?"

Rei scowled. "Oh, I don't know. Only the fact that my dad has changed into someone completely unrecognizable, he's marrying Lulubell Kamelot, and once they're married, I'll be dating my own step-uncle. Other than that, I don't think anything's wrong at all."

Kanda stared.

"…What?" he managed to say.

"You heard correctly," she muttered, looking the other way and leaning her chin on her hand. "I'm currently in a relationship with a soon-to-be marital-related family member. My father is marrying someone half his age. His fiancé is only three years older than me—"

"Lulubell Kamelot is twenty-three," interrupted Kanda.

Rei glared at him. "Oh, that's much better. Now she's only five years older. I suppose that makes everything A-OK, right?"

"Stop sniping," he sighed. "I was just letting you know."

"I _don't_ _care_, Kanda."

"You're still sniping at innocent people."

Rei let out an aggravated groan and curled up on the chair, twisting her body so that she was facing the wall to her left. There was an awkward silence, one the could only be generated by a brooding, mutinous female and a naturally antisocial male.

"The moyashi was sent to find me a hotel," said Kanda, finally breaking the quietness.

"…I know," said Rei, not looking at him. "Poor Allen."

"He said he was fine with it."

"Only because Cross was threatening him with his camera."

"Whatever," said Kanda irritably. "The point is, I'm not staying here. And I don't think you should either."

"I'm not going to leave just because I don't want to see my dad's fiancé," she said through gritted teeth. "They're not out to kill me, Kanda. I'll be fine here."

"You seem to be forgetting that the major reason we came here was not to deal with familial issues, but actually to _work_. Staying around the Noah—who are so terribly anxious to spend time with you," said Kanda scathingly, "will do nothing but disturb you. Living somewhere else would be best."

"At the hotel?" said Rei with a hollow laugh. "And leave Tyki to the devices of his siblings? I don't think so."

"Mikk doesn't need your protection—no one needs it, Rei. The person who needs to be protected is none other than you."

"Me?" she said coldly. "No, Kanda, the person who needs the protection is actually _you_—what, do you think that if I stay by you at the hotel, you'll be safe?"

Kanda got up angrily, his blue eyes flashing as he approached her chair. Rei's glare never wavered as she returned his gaze fiercely.

"Why are you always under the impression that I'm _using_ you?" said Kanda lethally. "I'm not. I don't think of you just as a bodyguard, you idiot. Maybe it's because you're too busy obsessing over Mikk, or wallowing in self-pity that you can't see that people actually _care_ about you."

Rei finally averted her gaze at his last statement. Kanda let out an irritated breath and tousled her hair gently.

"I'm quite certain that Mikk will also encourage you to stay in the hotel," he said. "It'd be for the best."

"He won't agree."

"You sure if it's him who wouldn't agree, or you? You're ridiculously attached."

"Kanda," she said in a deadly tone. "I don't need the same lecture from you."

"If more than one person's told you this already, then it must be true," said Kanda serenely. "Aside from your blatant and disgusting flirting at the dining table—"

"That was _his_ fault, not mine—"

"I think it's pretty clear that you've grown a bit…head over heels for him," he continued dryly. "And I think it'd be in your best interest if you both had a break."

"In my best interest, or yours?" said Rei bitingly.

Kanda arched an eyebrow, looking perfectly skeptical.

"I don't need to try so hard, Rei. Considering how many problems you have had and it's only been two hours since we landed, Portugal is not your…cup of tea, so to speak. I daresay you'll be tired of it all sooner or later."

* * *

Tyki had taken half an hour or so to speak to Cyril privately. When he returned to the salon, he didn't mention anything about it, nor did he make any gesture for her to ask. Thus, Rei held her tongue.

"Thanks, Kanda," said Tyki sincerely as Kanda brushed past him to exit. "The servants are going to show the others their rooms—you sure you don't need one?"

"Of course not," said Kanda brusquely. "Did the moyashi return?"

"Walker? Yeah, he's told Marian where your hotel will be. Road has taken quite a liking to him, you know…it's rather strange. Maybe it's because he's short—he looks like a middle-school kid. But anyway…" He turned his attention to Rei. "Would you like to come to my room?" he asked.

"…Yeah, I would," replied Rei after a moment of thought. "You don't mind?"

"Why would I?" he grinned, leading her out of the room and up an elegant set of stairs. "Kate and Bookman are sharing a room on the first floor, while everyone else gets singles in that same hallway. Would you like to remain in the same room, or do you want a single?"

Rei looked down the stairs, making sure Kanda had disappeared fully down the corridor before speaking.

"…Kanda says I should stay in the hotel," said Rei quietly.

Tyki turned to her, stopping in the middle of the a second floor hallway.

"What in the world for?" he asked, confused.

"My safety," was her simplistic response.

"Rei, no one here would dare lay a hand on you."

"He also says it'd be better if I didn't stay, because if I did, I'd just be distracted from work with everything that's going on, and that's the main reason we're here, and—"

"Since when has Kanda _ever_ been this considerate?" muttered Tyki.

"I dunno," admitted Rei.

"I don't think you staying with him alone in a hotel is the best idea," he answered.

"How funny, I didn't either, but not for your reasons. I don't think it's a great idea either—I just wanted to mention it before he told you. I'm going to stay here though—just in case something happens. So where's your room?"

She stalked away from him, feeling a bit disoriented. He caught her by the wrist, though, and turned her back around as he pressed her against the wall.

"Do you feel safe here?" he queried.

"What? Yes, of course," she replied anxiously.

Tyki arched a perfect eyebrow.

"No, really," he said. "If you're not with me here, do you feel…apprehensive?"

"…Somewhat, but it's really okay," she said determinedly. "It's just a new place, and I'll get used to it after a while."

"You don't have to force yourself, Rei," he said staidly.

"I'm not—"

He kissed her softly, his lips touching hers gently as one hand slid up her back and massaged the back of her neck, trying to get her to relax. Rei felt her muscles unconsciously loosen up at his touch, and only when she moved her lips aside and took in a deep breath did she realize how tense she had been, how on edge, how…uncomfortable. Tyki's lips moved slightly down her chin, then back up to meet hers. His kisses were rather different from his normal ones, instead seemingly meant to calm her down.

"TYKI!" yelled two voices simultaneously. Someone tugged Tyki away, much to Rei's displeasure, and she opened her eyes to see that it was the strange pair of twins who had interrupted the two of them.

"Tyki, no P.D.A.!" said the blonde one (Jasdero? Debitto? Their names were too confusing to remember.) "Cyril's gonna get pissed!"

"Go away," Tyki groaned, pulling his arms out of their hands. "So annoying…"

"She's a cutie," grinned the black-haired one. "Care to share?"

Tyki glared at him, his arms encasing Rei's waist.

"You twins can go find someone else," he said coolly. "If you even try—"

"She won't mind, won't ya, Rei?" the twin winked.

"Debitto," deadpanned Tyki.

"Fine, fine," said Debitto with a good-natured grin. "I was just kiddin', y'know. No need to overreact…there's plenty of cuter girls around. Say, that Kate Schrödlich is damn fine…"

"She's taken," said the blonde one, who had to be Jasdero. "By Lavi Bookman."

"What?"

"Yeah…" mused Jasdero. "Tell the truth though, he's hot and so is she. They look good together."

"Jasdero, I worry for you," said Tyki degradingly. "That was not a very straight statement."

"Hey, I'm just telling the truth! Ask your girlfriend—hey," he said, directing his question Rei. "Do you think Lavi Bookman is hot?"

"Uh…eh…" Rei looked uncertainly at Tyki, who raised his eyebrows expectantly. "Yeah, I think he's hot."

Tyki's eyes narrowed.

"Hotter than I am?"

"…I don't want to answer that," she said primly.

"You're kidding! I'll admit that Bookman is good-looking, but in no way can he compare to me—"

"You're so full of yourself, Tyki—both Kanda _and_ Bookman can compare to you easily—"

"No way in hell," snorted Tyki. "I am much better looking—"

"Hey, hey, hey!" interjected Debitto. "Rei, d'you think I'm hot?"

Rei looked him up and down.

"…Yes?" she said hesitantly, not sure if Tyki would take the news well.

Tyki frowned. "I had no idea your standards were this low."

"Excuse me?" she said indignantly.

"What the hell?" Debitto said at the same time. "I _am_ hot, for your information—"

"He's just too blinded by himself," said Jasdero with a sigh.

"Thank you, Jas," said Tyki sincerely.

"I wasn't complimenting you," he replied darkly.

"What, you need Rei to say that you're hot too in order for you to be happy?"

"No," said Jas with a sniff. "Debi and I have the same face—if she thinks he's hot, then I am too."

"Moving on to other available girls," said Debitto thoughtfully, turning the conversation back to the original track, "Lenalee is _super_ cute. Even cuter in person…"

"Taken," yawned Tyki. "She and Allen Walker get along mighty well."

"Allen Walker? Who's that?"

"He's Marian's student."

"What? He's not even a model?"

"Way too short," smirked Tyki. "And not attractive."

"Allen is very cute," refuted Rei. "He's charming and chivalrous—traits that you, Tyki, unfortunately lack."

"I am extremely charming and chivalrous—"

"Oh, of course," said Lulubell's voice from the right. "Which must be why you're the ultimate playboy in Europe, Tyki. Boys, welcome Eiji back."

The group turned around to see her, accompanied by none other than Rei's father. Bile immediately surfaced in her throat as Rei surveyed him. Eiji looked stunned to see her, but his expression settled as he studied hers.

"Eiji's had a long flight, and has been taking care of the…charming Aiko Satsuma," said Lulu, her smile widening as she noted Debitto and Jasdero's silent retching. "Don't bother us too much, all right?"

Rei stepped forward, attracting Lulubell and her fiancé's gazes. She did not give them much time to look; she immediately rushed forward, her speed fueled by her anger, and she appeared in front of Eiji instantaneously, her hand stretching out to punch him in the face. Eiji, always on guard, caught her fist easily and twisted it; Rei retaliated by kicking outward, catching him slightly at the waist and forcing him to turn. Her jade eyes spotted the glistening holster at Eiji's hip; she lunged for it, successfully grabbing it and twisting around behind him. She cocked it in one fluid motion and pointed it straight at his face, her eyes blazing in triumph and fury.

But she was not the only one who was armed. The barrel of a gun dug into her temple from the side; Rei chanced a glance to the right and saw that it was none other than Lulu, her eyes cold and narrowed, her comely face rather alarming as she pointed the gun at Rei. Both Jasdero and Debitto had guns out as well, their playful expressions gone as they pointed at Rei as well. Tyki, having somehow produced a gun of his own, held Eiji at gunpoint from behind.

"I don't care if you're his daughter or not," said Lulu chillingly, "but I will not tolerate anyone trying to harm my fiancé. Drop the gun, Rei Matsumomo."

Eiji held up a hand, silently motioning for Lulu to lower her weapon.

"But—" said Lulu crossly.

"It's fine, Lulu," said Eiji reassuringly. "I'm her father—she wouldn't hurt me seriously."

"Try me," snarled Rei, her gun wavering threateningly in front of his face. "Just _try_ me—chances are that you're not my dad at all, doing all this shit without me knowing—just _how_ could you?"

"I understand your anger, Rei," said Eiji calmly, "but it doesn't not warrant your holding me at gunpoint—"

"_How does it not_?" she said furiously, her voice bordering shouting. "Do you _know_ what you're doing? Can you believe it? She is half your age!"

"This is a discussion we will have in private, Rei," said her father, his voice connoting a warning. "Do not dare insult the members of the Noah family—"

"Drop the gun, Rei," interrupted Tyki.

Her gaze swiveled to his, disbelieving that he would take Eiji's side, but Tyki wasn't looking at her. He was instead staring at the twins, apprehension causing his brow to furrow, noting their relentlessly stiff posture.

"It's for your own good. Drop the gun, Rei," repeated Tyki.

Rei lowered her weapon slowly, her eyes watching for any sudden movements on Lulu or the twins' parts.

"Return it, Rei," said Eiji tiredly, stretching out his hand.

She glared at him but reluctantly placed the cold weapon in his palm; her body refused to relax even as Lulu's gun lowered, leaving a stinging sensation in Rei's head. The twins were next, but much to the group's surprise, they broke out into bouts of raucous laughter.

"Fooled ya!" they chortled, waving their guns around. "They're toys! See? Water guns!"

They pressed the triggers to their weapons, and jets of water squirted out of the tips, spraying each other.

"Ha, man, Tyki, you were _so_ _serious_!" laughed Jas. "_Man_, you thought we were actually gonna hurt her—"

"So funny," agreed Debitto.

"You two are excused," said Lulu silkily. "I'll see you two later."

"Man, Lulu, why d'you gotta ruin all the fun—"

"Goodbye, twins," she said, her voice containing a deadly edge.

Rei could see the involuntary shudders that went through the twins, and they exchanged looks briefly before exiting the hallway, skipping and laughing all the while. It was apparent that Lulubell held no little influence over them.

"Rei Matsumomo," said the Portuguese woman icily once the twins had disappeared, "note that I will not tolerate any suggestions of harm towards any member of the Noah family—and this includes your father. Your anger may be understandable, but I am hardly lenient or kind when it comes to threats towards the Noah. It would be wise for you to contain your behavior."

"Do not speak to me so condescendingly," returned Rei equally coldly. "You may be older, but do not act like a mother. You are far from earning that degree of respect."

Eiji stepped forward instantly, his hand lunging out as if to strike her. Rei managed to catch his wrist only a few centimeters away from her cheek.

"Going to hit me, Otou-san?" she said evenly.

"If you will not give Lulubell the respect of a parent, then you would do well to recognize that respect for me, and treat her the same way—"

"Any respect I had for you was lost the instant you abandoned me for this _woman_," Rei spat. "You—"

"It would be wise to take our leave now," said Tyki formally, taking Rei's hand and forcing her to let go of Eiji's wrist. "I'll talk to Rei—in the meantime, forgive her for her actions."

"…Excuse me?" said Rei, dumbfounded as Tyki pulled her firmly in the opposite direction of Eiji and Lulubell.

"At least you have your head screwed on straight," said Lulu coolly. "Make sure she actually behaves, Tyki."

Tyki didn't answer, instead ushering Rei into a room a few feet down the hallway. Before she had the chance to even protest his ridiculous behavior, he pushed her against the wall and leaned close to her face, as if inspecting for any scratches.

"What are you doing?" she said blankly, antagonism replaced by bemusement.

"Checking for wounds," he replied vaguely, his hands searching her temples for any bruises.

"She didn't fire—are you crazy? I'm fine," Rei sighed, pushing him away and walking into the depths of the room.

Like his room back in Tokyo, Tyki's room lacked any sort of personality save for the traces of elegance. Dark red walls gave the room a sense of royalty and sophistication; paintings, portraits, and pictures decorated the otherwise blank walls. A king-sized bed stood rigidly in the middle of the enormous room, its covers a deep crimson matching the walls. One long sofa and a few cushioned chairs sat opposite of the bed, while wardrobes took up the remaining empty spaces against the walls.

Rei gave a cursory scan around the room and then just stared at the carpeted floor, her thoughts turning to more important things.

"…Are you siding with them?" she questioned, not facing him.

"…I believe that you should control yourself," he responded.

She whipped around to face him, livid.

"So you think I should _respect_ Lulubell with the degree of respect I should give my own mother?" she said frigidly.

"No," said Tyki, somewhat exasperated. "Rei…I initially thought that you were of great value to the Noah, which you are, I'm sure, but I thought that meant that they would not dare hurt you. But…it seems I was mistaken."

"I was pointing a gun at Lulubell's fiancé," said Rei silkily. "Of course they would retaliate."

Tyki did not answer, but his expression briefly became one of mixed worry and anger before smoothing out to its normal impassiveness. He let out a weary breath and reached out, taking Rei by the shoulders and holding her against his chest. She could hear his steadily beating heart at her ear, and she looked up at him, curious as to why he was looking so disturbed when it really should have been _her_ with that very same expression. She buried her face in his chest and returned the hug, her thin arms snaking around his neck.

"I hope you realize…the degree of danger being in Portugal represents," he said quietly by her ear.

She nodded. The news was nothing new. Danger was not an issue. She could take care of herself.

Obviously, Tyki didn't think the same.

"You should stay with Kanda at the hotel."

Rei retracted her arms and pushed him slightly away so that she could properly stare in disbelief at his face.

"…What did you just say?"

"Stay with Kanda."

When she did not reply, for she was too busy being astonished with the suggestion, he added words that were ten times worse.

"In the same room."

Portugal did strange things to people. Rei was ten times angrier in Portugal. Kanda was ten times more paranoid.

And Tyki?

He was certifiably insane.

* * *

**Free Talk**:

:( I'm a bit sad...I had been hoping for a more lively welcome back. Instead, that was the lowest number of reviews I've gotten in 11 chapters, which is nothing short of depressing. I do hope the feedback this time will be better. I was even kind and didn't leave you with a cliffhanger!

Anyway, I'd long planned for Eiji to be Lulubell's fiance. A few people actually guessed, which was a nice surprise. So hopefully it didn't seem out of the blue. And now the reason Eiji is so attached to the Noah is clear, mm?

Sorry for the less Kanda screen time, but now that he and Rei will (most likely) be staying in the same hotel, they will have more time together. And more tension. And arguments. And...yeah. I will not ramble on. But the rest can be inferred.

So I will leave it at that. Perhaps more will be on my LJ later if you need it.

Do leave a review. If everyone who Favorited/Story-Alerted reviewed, I'd be getting over 150 reviews each update...and that would certainly lessen the amount of time it takes to update~

xoxo,

m.n


	36. First Love's Reprise

**Chapter 35: First Love's Reprise**

**

* * *

**

_"The magic of first love is our ignorance that it can ever end._" - Benjamin Disraeli

* * *

"…Are you crazy?"

Tyki sighed patiently, giving Rei a somewhat condescending look, as if saying "Do I really need to explain myself?"

"You want _me_ and _Kanda_ to stay in a room together," said Rei disbelievingly.

"Yes."

"That…that makes no sense, Tyki. Are you not…aware of…um…" She could not find a way to phrase it delicately.

"Yes, Rei," said Tyki patiently, "I'm well aware of how Kanda still has silly feelings for you, and I'm also well aware of the potential problems that might arise in our own relationship should something between you and Kanda happen, because, you know, things do happen when a male and a female who were or are in love remain in the same room together overnight. Please don't challenge my intelligence in that aspect, all right? Because I'm well aware of all these things, you should therefore realize what kind of situation I think you're in for me to even be suggesting this."

"I really don't see why I can't just stay in the same room with you, Tyki," said Rei. "Surely you're more…er, protection than Kanda is?"

"I am not going to be with you for most of the time, I suspect," he answered. "From the way Lulu and the twins…reacted, I think I'll be engaging in Noah family meetings many times in the middle of the night, which would prove to be not-so-good for you, in case something should happen. Therefore, it is much better for you to be far away from here under other bodyguard surveillance, since I'm sure Kanda will have a fleet of men to be guarding him here."

It was rather obvious that Tyki was also not feeling extremely comfortable with his proposal. His eyes kept looking past Rei's face, and his eyebrows were slightly furrowed.

"If you're not comfortable with it," said Rei gently, "there are other options I can take, Tyki. We could also stop being so paranoid—I really don't think your family will actually try to hurt me."

"I'd rather not take that risk," he said, tousling her hair lightly. "Listen to me for once, would you?" He bent down slightly, his lips gracing her forehead. "And please stay out of trouble."

* * *

The hotel Allen had reserved a room for Kanda in was one of those places that only the truly wealthy could afford to stay at. Rei let out a little breath as she stood in the lobby, a enormous room with a wonderfully high ceiling and excellent fresh air ventilation, as the temperature was not too cold but not too warm. The doors were magnificent—towering glass panes separated by gold bars that wove around the entire expanse, intricately designed with mosaic patterns. A waterfall was in the lobby, sporting various species of rare fish and crystal clear water, while golden-caged indigenous birds frolicked in their elegant prisons.

Rei stood awkwardly in front of the main desk as a translator notified the receptionist about her arrival. She was surrounded by her bags and a few suitcases. Most of her clothes had been shipped off to that ridiculous rural villa in Italy, but her essential belongings were still at hand.

Including a few guns with spare barrels. Tyki had furtively handed them to her before she left, his eyes gleaming in amusement at her somewhat ecstatic expression when she'd seen the glint of the metal. It had been a while since she'd actually gotten to play around with a few weapons—which was always rather fascinating to do.

Kate and Lavi had accompanied Rei and Kanda to the hotel in place of Tyki, who had been held back by Cyril for some sort of meeting. Unsurprising.

"Nice…" whistled Lavi, looking around. "Kate, do you want to stay here instead?"

"Nah," said Kate after a few minutes of lobby inspection, "nice as it is here, the palace is still a palace, and there are servants and whatnot. Can't beat living the life of a princess after all."

"You like being pampered?" grinned Lavi. "Don't worry, princess, I'll pamper you all you want."

Kate rolled her eyes as Lavi wrapped an arm around her waist and pecked her on the cheek.

"As if you don't spoil me enough, Lavi," she smiled.

"You shouldn't complain!"

"Guys, please," said Rei weakly as the two of them grew cuddly. "Why are you even here?"

"Just to see where you were going to be living," said Kate brightly. "You know, in case you get too bored with Kanda and all…he's like the kind of person who would fly halfway across the world and not even tour."

"Exactly," said Kanda's wry voice from the right. The rest of them turned to him as he approached; he held up two plastic cards between his index and middle fingers, sliding them so that they both showed a streak of gold that cut through the lower part of the card.

"Please do not tell me that is real gold," deadpanned Rei.

"It might be," admitted Kanda, inspecting the cards. "For security purposes."

"They might as well have retina scans," grumbled Rei, snatching a card from Kanda's hand with some effort due to his height. "Are we in a suite?"

"Of course," he said. "You expect me to stay in a tiny room with you? Highly unlikely—you'll probably take up all the space with all your stuff."

"No, _you'd_ take up all the space with your _gigantic_ ego."

"You're so mature, Rei."

"Kanda, you can stop being a—"

"Aren't they so sweet?" said Kate fondly to Lavi. "They're like bickering siblings."

"Siblings?" said Rei, scandalized. "I would _die_ if he were my brother—"

"The feeling is completely mutual," said Kanda sourly. "I can't stand kids."

Rei glared at him, unwilling to muster up the energy to continue the ridiculously childish argument. Was Tyki really sane? He thought she could _actually_ stay in the same room with Kanda without getting into an asinine argument sooner or later? Fat chance.

"Kate, why don't you and Bookman stay here too?" suggested Rei as the four of them entered a hotel with a few valets who were taking care of their luggage.

"Nope," said Kate with an apologetic smile. "I loved rooming with you, but I mean…you're just not Lavi…meaning we can't, you know…"

"Mm-hm," said Rei dryly. "Such a wonderful friend you are, Kate."

Kate simply laughed and teasingly ruffled Rei's hair. (Really, why was she the only short one? Everyone was always tousling her hair—the only person she _was_ taller than was Allen.)

Kate's cell phone rang the moment they stepped out onto the green carpeted floor of the ninth story.

"Hm?" said the German model, taking out the phone and examining the screen. "Oh…how weird, it's Victoria's Secret…"

Lavi peered over her shoulder, reading the caller I.D.

"English headquarters? What do they want you for?"

"No idea," mused Kate, clicking the "Call" button and putting it to her ear. "Hello? Yes, this is Kate…"

Her voice trailed off as she stepped away from the group, wandering down the hallway with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Wonder what that's about…" said Lavi.

"Probably business," said Kanda, finding the designated room (Room 763) and sliding the card in the keyhole. The light above the lock buzzed green and a solid click resounded down the hallway, notifying them of their access.

"After you," said Kanda with sarcastic chivalry as he opened the door for Rei and beckoned for her to enter.

"Thanks," said Rei primly, walking inside the suite. She was greeted by a large expanse, decorated with pastel paintings on the rose-colored walls and fluffed white carpet covering the floor. Two queen-sized beds, already made with silken maroon sheets and blankets, sat a few feet away from each other across from a huge flat-screen T.V., which was accompanied with a computer and stereo system. Half of one wall was a window that overlooked the luscious garden surrounding the hotel. Rei glanced inside the mirror, spotting a black marble counter with stylish lanterns adorning the ends of the mirror above it. The room clearly…cost a lot.

Lavi whistled. "Not bad, guys, not bad at all. So…you two gonna have fun by yourselves? Alone?" The Brit grinned widely at Rei's ugly expression. "C'mon, Rei, you never know. Sure, Mikk is hot and all, but with you and Kanda's—"

"Seriously, Bookman," said Rei with a grimace, "do you really have to bring up the obvious? You're just making things even more awkward by saying it aloud…"

"I just can't see why the hell Mikk wanted you to stay with Kanda—overnight," said Lavi, looking around the room. "And why you agreed? Unless you wanted something to happen."

"Bookman," said Rei sharply.

Lavi raised an eyebrow and looked at Kanda, who was engrossed in close inspection of the room but was most likely listening keenly to the conversation.

"What, Kanda? You agree, right?"

Kanda scoffed and turned to face the two of them, a customary smugness noticeable in his expression. His answer, though, was unbearably stoic and cryptic.

"We'll see."

Which caused Lavi to look even more skeptical.

"Man, Mikk just shot himself in the foot this time, didn't he…" the British model sighed. "Well, Rei, all I can believe in is your hopeful faith in your first boyfriend and that you don't succumb to the physical needs of an eighteen year old teenager—"

"Bookman!" said Rei indignantly. "What are you trying to accomplish?"

"Nothing," Lavi grinned, patting Rei's head lightly. "Don't get so angry easily—you're way too on edge today. I just wanted to lighten your mood up a bit."

"Wrong way to approach it," sighed Rei, pushing his hand off, "but thanks. Being here just makes me slightly pissy."

"Ah," said Lavi understandingly, "it's that time of month, isn't it?"

"Lavi," said Kate disapprovingly from the doorway, "that is an inappropriate question to be asking anyone other than your girlfriend…"

"Ah, she doesn't mind, do you, Rei?" asked Lavi. Without waiting for a reply, he turned back to Kate. "So what did Vicky Secret call you about?"

"They want me to do a shoot for them," said Kate musingly. "And a runway show, while I'm there. It's apparently a big gig and will pay tremendously well…I'll also be the one in all their stores next season. Which is quite a feat…"

"They want you to go now?" said Lavi dubiously. "You're in the middle of work for Marian though."

"He's not doing anything though," said Kate somewhat coolly as she thought of the photographer. "That man is so ridiculous—always asking us to fly across the world on a whim and getting nothing done in the meantime. At least I _know_ something will get done in London."

"How long would you stay?" said Rei, sitting down on her bed.

"Couple of weeks," said Kate airily. "Visit my family, maybe…"

"Your family lives in London?" said Lavi, surprise. "I didn't know that."

"I…I don't really talk about them that much," said Kate offhandedly. "I'm not on the best of terms with my family."

"Funny," chuckled Lavi, "me neither. Well, really, it's just me and my gramps, but he hates my being a model and all, so it's not downright pleasant being around him. I'd like to meet your family though. At some point or another, you know?"

"Maybe," said Kate, looking somewhat uncomfortable with the prospect. She pushed her long silky hair aside and turned to Rei. "Though I was thinking…Rei, you know, it might be good for you to come with me. You'll learn a lot through a Victoria Secret shoot…"

"Kate, I am far from…_endowed_ in that aspect," laughed Rei. "It'd never work."

"Actually, the woman in charge of the shoot—I was just talking to her—she wants someone from Asia to work with her. It doesn't matter if you're flat or not—most Asians are, well, pretty flat anyway," said Kate with a slight grin.

"Thanks for rubbing that in," sighed Rei. "I dunno—Lenalee's probably a better option, Kate. She's more famous and popular and prettier and everything else…"

"But this is a great opportunity," said Kate emphatically. "And besides, we'd get to room together and everything—and I mean, I like Lenalee and all, but we're not that close…"

"Eh…"

"And it'll make you a lot more famous," the German model continued, "which is really important because these pictures will probably come out before Marian's, and will therefore amplify the effect on Marian's shoot, you know? It'd be a lot of fun. And…if you came to see my family, it would be nice. It's always a little less…uncomfortable around them when I have a friend around," she added somewhat nervously.

"Eh? What about me?" said Lavi.

"Um…" Kate was visibly agitated. "It might just be…you know, weird if you came back with me. My parents are…kind of conservative. I imagine that they're not happy we're dating—you know, with you being so much younger than me and all."

"It's what, four years? It's not a big deal," said Lavi exasperatedly. "If you're worried about me being offended, don't. I won't care."

"How long do you guys plan on hanging around?" said Kanda deprecatingly, stopping the flow of the conversation. Rei shot him a look that he unduly ignored.

"He's right, Lavi," said Kate. "We better go—no funny business with Rei, Kanda. I hate Mikk, but I'm not terribly fond of cheating—"

"Says _you_," retorted Kanda.

There was a slight pause as everyone took in what Kanda was insinuating.

Kate flushed to a deep red and her scarlet-painted nails dug into the sides of her arms as she shifted nervously on her feet. Hardly ever was Kate fazed by verbal insults; it was therefore painfully clear that Kanda had struck a sensitive nerve.

"I'll walk you guys to the elevator," said Rei sharply, breaking the silence and ushering the two European models out of the room.

"Geez, overreacting," she heard Kanda mutter under his breath.

Rei turned around just as she was about to shut the door and sent him a hateful glare.

"You know," she said frostily, "if you actually learned to control that mouth of yours, maybe you'd actually have _friends_."

"I don't need—"

Rei slammed the door behind her and joined Kate and Lavi down the hallway as they waited for the elevator. It was an awkward atmosphere, as no one made a move to say anything. Each stood rigidly as they waited for the electronic transporter to come all too slowly, and remained in individual brooding thoughts.

"Rei," started Kate.

"I'm not angry with you," she said shortly. "It's just Kanda."

"Oh…" Kate still looked restless; she brushed her hair back uneasily even though there were no strands bothering her face. "I…Lavi, I—"

The elevator dinged, and its golden-cased doors slid open effortlessly. Lavi grabbed Kate's hand and dragged her inside the elevator and, without another word, began to kiss her frenziedly. The doors slid closed in silence, leaving Rei alone in the hallway as the light above the elevator indicated its descent.

She gave a little sigh and crossed her arms, staring at the doors in front of her with an expression of mixed annoyance and amusement. With Rei staying with Kanda and Tyki staying near Lulu, it seemed that the only stable couple was Kate and Lavi. The realization was comforting, for some reason.

As if it were an indication for confidence in a relationship that was like a rickety bridge, prone to collapse under the slightest pressure.

* * *

"Well, let's commence," said Cyril as he sat down in a cushioned seat at a long, stately table.

The rest of the Noah situated themselves around the table as well. The room was dimly lit by a chandelier hanging from the ceiling; there were no windows, causing the blood-red wallpaper to gleam in the muted light menacingly.

Tyki sat between Debitto and Lulubell. His fingers unconsciously drummed the arm of his chair, relishing the feeling of the smooth wood under his touch. He dropped his hand to the side of the chair, stroking the edges of the seat like he would the skin of a woman—it was clear that wherever his mind was, it wasn't far from inappropriate things. He noticed Lulu's golden irises dart down in his hand's direction, apparently amused with his preoccupation as Cyril began to speak.

"Well, now that we're all here—"

"First of all," said Tyki dryly, "I have a question." He turned to the two twins, who were in the process of carving out of place pictures on the surface of the table with Swiss knives. "Why the hell are you two here?"

"Oh, right," said Debitto suddenly, "Tyki doesn't know that we—"

"—joined these meetings right when he left," finished Jasdero, scraping the tip of his knife in a smooth downward motion, letting the woodchips sprinkle next to the clear cut on the surface of the table. "We had to come to fill ya in, Tyki!"

"Both of you had to fill in for one of me?" smirked Tyki. "That shows something about your intellect—"

"Hey! It's because Jasdebi can't be separated!" said Jasdero hotly. "You can't just say that—we're _way_ better than you, Tyki!"

"Besides, at least we got stuff done in the meantime," grinned Debitto. "While you were off flirting with your…girlfriend. Cheeky little girl, ain't she?"

"Debitto…" said Tyki with narrowed eyes.

"Man, you are _smitten_!" laughed the black-haired twin, waving his knife around dangerously close to Tyki's face. "What's the Earl ever gonna do with you, eh?"

Tyki let out a breath and turned his attention to Lulu, who still looked humored by his behavior.

"They've met the Earl now, have they?" he said lightly.

"Oh, Tyki," she said chidingly, "it's to be expected, you know. Sooner or later, Road will—"

"No," he said firmly.

"Tyki, she's thirteen. Four or five years, and she'll be ready too. Every royal member affiliates themselves with the Mafia head, whether they like it or not. Grow up. Rei will have to meet him too—"

"_No_."

Lulu raised her eyebrows.

"Debitto's right," she said tetchily, "you _are_ smitten. Seriously? It hasn't even been half a year, Tyki Mikk. This is slightly pathetic."

"And you got engaged with my girlfriend's dad in less than a month?" he hissed in a lowered voice. "You don't have room to talk, Lulu."

She glared at him in return, causing a satisfied smirk to creep to his lips. Lulu let out a huffy breath and turned the other way, fixating her gaze on a large pine door at the other end of the room. Tyki followed her stare. They all knew who to expect out of the door.

"Is Eiji sleeping?" said Cyril to Lulu.

She nodded.

"He's a bit tired—it seems like Satsuma can be rather demanding. She's also sleeping—I think being a silly little stupid-head tired her out as well."

Tyki chuckled unconsciously, thinking how well the childish insult of "stupid-head" fit his fiancée; Lulu glanced at him at the sound of his laughter, but when he looked at her to meet her eyes, the stare disappeared as quickly as it came

"Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall," started Debitto in a sing-songy voice as he continued to doodle.

"Oh, please," said Cyril exasperatedly, "not that _awful_ song again. At least sing something different!"

The twins looked at each other for a split second before bursting out in,

"I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts, diddly-dee!"

"Kill me now," groaned Tyki, leaning his head on the table. "How the _hell_ are you guys singers if all you can sing are kids' songs?"

"Because we need mikes to sing the songs we normally sing," said Jasdero poutily. "And a bass guitar, because we like to scream a lot—"

"I hope you two never, ever become popular," said Tyki feverishly. "Ever. I would not be able to stand listening to you on the radio—"

His voice cut short as he felt something brush by his fingers. He looked down, surprised to see Lulu's fingers entwined with his own loosely. She was still looking the other way, but Tyki could easily imagine the smug look on her face…

"You're just jealous, Tyki," said Debitto, bored. "Hey, Jas, let's sing that Titanic song, it's depressing and great."

The incredibly depressing song started, but Tyki hardly listened to it, too preoccupied by what was going on with his hand.

He tugged his fingers the other way, somewhat startled with her change in attitude. But Lulu had always been emotionally fickle, like a cat, and he could never read her thoughts…she was much more contained, more sporadic than Rei, whose mood he could read like an open book.

Lulu made no movement to continue holding hands, much to his relief. Tyki didn't have much time to ponder the action, for the pinewood door opened with a bang, and in walked a fat, grinning man with spectacles and a black top hat that was as long as he was round. The Noah stood up simultaneously, the mood in the room quieter and denser than it had been seconds before. The twins had stopped their singing, their faces now set with utter seriousness.

The Earl approached the head of the table, at the seat right next to Cyril, and looked out the room.

"Aw, why so serious?" he said with a broad smile.

A unanimous sigh could be heard in the room, a relaxation in every limb. The twins high-fived each other and said loudly, "Yes! He's in a good mood!" before pouncing up onto the Earl to embrace him in a hug.

"Aw, twins!" said the rotund man, hugging them back. "How cute! Were you that scared of me?"

"Yeah, Earl," laughed Jasdero. "Last meeting, you were hella angry—"

"That's just because things weren't going my way in Japan, you know! I wasn't mad at you!"

"But still! It was _scary_!"

"Good to see you, Earl," said Cyril with a smile. "I'm guessing things are better now?"

"Somewhat," he answered, brushing off the twins and letting them return to their seat. "We just need a man for the job—oh, Tyki! How delightful to see you back!"

Tyki inclined his head slightly in acknowledgment, sitting back down in his seat as the Earl also sat.

"Excellent, excellent," said the Earl jubilantly. "Just the man I needed—so, how was your trip to Japan? Find Eiji's daughter?"

"He did, but botched up the mission wonderfully," sighed Cyril.

"Eh? How did you… 'botch' it up? She's in Portugal, I hear?"

"Yes, she is, but he's dating the girl now, and is ridiculously overprotective," explained Lulu. "He doesn't want her affiliated with the Mafia."

"Why would I?" said Tyki sourly. "She's just a teenager—you can't expect her to be waving guns around and killing people."

"And that's exactly what Eiji says she likes to do," muttered Lulu.

It was Tyki's turn to glare. Lulu rolled her eyes at his immaturity and turned her attention back to the Earl, who was looking at Tyki with his smile turned upside-down.

"Our Tyki-pon's gotten soft…" he whined.

Tyki mimicked Lulu's earlier action and rolled his eyes.

"I haven't gotten 'soft.' Sorry for finding someone who isn't out there just to _use_ me."

His acerbic words garnered an inscrutable look from Lulu. He deliberately looked past her at the Earl, whose frown was becoming more pronounced.

"We're not here to _use_ you, Tyki, how could you think that?" the Earl pouted. "We're simply concerned for your…wellbeing! For example…I have a very important job for you."

"Earl…no offense or anything," said Tyki as smoothly as he could without narrowing his eyes, "I'm not a Mafia goon anymore. In case you haven't heard, I'm _famous_. If I do something…covertly illegal, it'll be ten times easier to catch me doing it than one of the twins."

"Tyki, Tyki, Tyki," sighed the Earl. "All royalty members are still Mafia members. And this is something that I know only you can do. The twins always do things together, so it's harder for me to have them remained…undiscovered."

"Meaning that I'm better," muttered Tyki under his breath.

"Hey!" said Debitto, looking up from his wooden carvings. "We're better than you, Tyki!"

"Yeah, much better!" said Jas indignantly.

"Ask anyone else in here if you two combined can beat me alone, and they'll say no. Stop whining, kids, and face life."

Jas scowled and threw his knife at Tyki's face. He caught it lazily between his index and middle fingers, shaking his head all the while.

"Practice makes perfect," he murmured with a sly smile, turning his attention back to the Earl, who simply shook his head.

"Tyki, maybe you don't want to do the mission because you've rusted?"

Tyki raised an eyebrow and sent the knife in his fingers flying past the Earl's ear; it barely skinned him and hit the door behind him precisely.

"I don't _rust_, Earl," said Tyki pleasantly. "I assure you that that's not my concern."

The Earl seemed relieved with his display of skill and began to speak with renewed enthusiasm.

"This job is important, Tyki. Members from the yakuza have invaded our territory. They're here in Portugal as we speak."

"What for?" queried Cyril.

"Precisely," said the Earl triumphantly.

"…Precisely what?" said Cyril skeptically.

"Precisely. I don't know."

There was a slight pause, as if no one knew whether they could laugh or not. It was sometimes fine to laugh in such scenarios when the Earl was making no sense—the man simply laughed with them. If he didn't, well, he pulled out his gun and started shooting people. Things were pretty volatile most of the time.

"So…" said Tyki slowly, "you want us to kill some kids because they're here in Portugal and you don't know why."

"I know they're not just tourists," explained the Earl. "I also know that they're here to kill someone."

"How do you know?" said Lulu.

As the Earl began to explain why—something about gun orders and sniper gear—Tyki felt the familiar warmth of Lulu's skin slip into his hand again. He refrained from jerkily moving his hand away as his natural instincts dictated, but instead firmly drew his hand away. This time, however, Lulu's hand traced after his, always allowing some skin contact, before wrapping her digits tightly around his and drawing it back to her.

It was like his sensitivity to everything in the room amplified instantly. It became warmer, the colors became vibrant as their fingers unconsciously rolled over each other's. It was an electric sort of contact, where he could feel his own heartbeat accelerate with an intensity that he wished it didn't possess in this kind of situation, and by the command of some overarching force, Tyki could not bring himself to take his hand away.

Lulu seemed impassive as she always did. As she answered the Earl's inquisitions easily, her middle finger slid consistently up and down the middle of his palm, sending shivers that were very hard to repress down his spine.

"So I think this job would be good for you, eh, Tyki?" said the Earl.

Tyki blinked. "Sorry?"

The Earl sighed. "You know, I've always thought you were such a wonderful Mafia member—the only complaint I had was that you were too stupid. Why can't you pay attention for five minutes?"

"Sorry. What did you say?" He tugged his hand firmly away from Lulu and wrapped it tightly around the armrest of his chair.

"I want you to follow these…assassins. See who they're after," the Mafia head said smoothly. "And once you do, take them out. Let it be known that we don't tolerate trespassers."

"This is silly, Earl."

"Are you too scared to do it, Tyki?"

"Goading me isn't going to work. I'll do it under one condition."

The Earl was no longer smiling. "What is it?"

"As long as she's here, don't involve Rei with the Mafia. It's none of her business, and her business is none of yours." Tyki leaned his head back on the top of his seat as he waited for an answer.

The inhabitants of the room waited in apprehension; again, Tyki didn't know if the Earl was in a good enough mood to take his demands.

Fortunately, Lady Luck favored him for the day.

The Earl nodded. "Very well. Find out the motive and take the snipers out. If you do, we'll leave the girl alone."

Excellent. He was just slipping back to his old life.

* * *

"What are you thinking?" hissed Lulu as they left the meeting room.

Tyki frowned at her exclamation and ignored her, heading up the stairs to his room. Unfortunately, Lulu followed him with renewed vehemence in the face of his rudeness.

"Tyki, we have dillydallied with your ridiculous relationship for more than long enough—when are you going to see that your loyalty should lie not with a girl you've only met for half a year but with the _family_?"

"Sorry, Lulu," he said coolly, aiming for his room, "I don't really feel like whoring myself out just for the family."

Lulu's eyes flashed with fury and her hand connected with Tyki's left cheek in an instantaneous second. The slap stung, obviously, but he knew better than to retaliate—he decided to settle on a cold glare in return, but had barely mustered it before Lulu grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him forward. Her lips met his roughly as her hand reached out for the doorknob to his room. Tyki heard the door click open and the cold air of his room welcomed him in; Lulu pushed him in and slammed the door shut behind her with a kick, all the while keeping the kisses constant and ardent. Stunned more than anything, Tyki didn't even think of protesting as Lulu pushed him against the wall and began to kiss him more fully, her tongue brushing his lips as her hands darted up to the collar of his shirt and began to unbutton it.

Great. First a mission to kill, now an old flame.

Really, he had to welcome back his old life.

* * *

Rei was remaining very cold towards Kanda. She could not understand his lack of tact. His stupidity. She liked Kate very much and saw her as her best female friend, while Kanda himself was, well, less of a friend than anything. His insulting her was uncalled for, given that they were hardly close and that Kate had never been disagreeable to Kanda in any regard. He was just an ungrateful little cretin. End of story.

Their conversation was minimal, which was actually easy to maintain because Kanda was antisocial and never said much to begin with. And Rei, when faced with a grudge, could keep up the cold shoulder for a long time when she wanted to. She was very proud of that ability.

There was not much to do in their hotel room; the afternoon whittled away into evening, and Rei had disassembled and reassembled the guns that Tyki had given to her more than a few times already. The hobby was getting boring, even when she'd decided to time herself and beat an old record—she had gotten nowhere close, and the degree of rusting had upset her slightly.

She was trying not to think of anything that would upset her any further. Like Lulu and Eiji. Or Aiko, now that she was in Portugal. Or Kanda, because thinking about him just wanted to make her cock the gun she held in her hand and shoot him in the face.

She thought instead of the potential trip to England with Kate, which would be fascinating and fun. It would be an escape from the drama that the modeling crew she was with now represented. But Rei knew she would not be stress-free, no matter how far she ran from Portugal; she would always worry about Tyki and Lulu while she was gone, she'd always worry about Kanda's safety, and like it or not, she'd always worry about her father.

Rei heaved a sigh and buried her head on her arm at the desk that she was sitting at. Kanda was watching Portuguese television, seemingly bored by whatever was on in the language that neither of them understood. The coffeemaker in the kitchen was currently boiling milk tea, causing a pleasant Asian aroma to linger in the air.

A beep resounded through the room, indicating that the time on the coffeemaker had expired; Rei heard some rustling behind her and knew that Kanda was getting up to get the tea. A few minutes later, she felt him approach her and place a steaming cup on her desk. She looked up at it and then him slowly, mystified by his atypical kindness.

"Tea?" he said with high eyebrows.

"…Yeah," she said, sliding the cup in front of her and taking in the wonderfully familiar scents that reminded her of the home she hadn't been in or thought of in so long. "…It's been a while since I've had tea."

"I know," was his blunt response.

"…Where'd you get it?" she said, taking a slow sip of the tea.

"Brought it with me."

She nodded and focused on not scalding herself. It relaxed her, blunting her antagonism at Kanda for the moment. They remained quiet; Kanda seemed to be letting her drink her fill as she wished without his pestering.

"Good?" he asked once she finished and set her empty cup down.

"Yeah," she said appreciatively as he took the mug. "Thanks."

"Mm."

Another awkward silence.

"Do you want to go out and find something to eat?" he said nonchalantly.

Rei abruptly remembered that Kanda had eaten nothing at the luncheon hosted by the Noah. She gave him a little wry smile, which he immediately frowned upon seeing.

"What?" he said defiantly. "I'm hungry."

"Words that I'd never expect you to admit," she said with a small laugh, standing up. "Well, let's go then. Let's just hope no one thinks we're two idiots who can't speak an ounce of this damn language."

* * *

The sky was already a velvety black by the time the two of them embarked on the streets of Lisbon. The street lights did not contribute much to illuminate the city at night; it was more like the shop lights and extensive activeness lit the city up into a beautiful area of electronic life. The amount of people added to the crowded and homelike atmosphere; for the first time since she'd arrived in Portugal, Rei felt a bit at peace.

"Where are we going?" asked Kanda.

"No idea," replied Rei pleasantly. "Where do you want to go?"

"…Somewhere to eat."

"…You don't expect me to guide you anywhere, do you? I don't know any more Portuguese than you do."

They continued walking; Rei was occasionally shoved to the side by a random passerby who was much taller and possessed a sense of urgency that she obviously didn't have. The third time she apologized for being colliding Kanda, the Japanese male heaved an aggravated sigh and took her hand into his.

"Just stick with me—you keep running into me and it's annoying."

His hand was cool and smooth, large enough that it completely enveloped hers. They weren't holding hands the lovers' way—it was the family or friend hand-holding, but Rei was less than okay with it.

"I'm fine," she muttered, pulling her hand out.

Rei could detect a glint in his eyes and looked firmly away before she could decipher the emotion behind it. There was no need to make herself feel guilty.

They lapsed into silence again, but Rei was unable to keep a good distance between them. Their shoulders were always touching, and the slight finger brushes could not be avoided. She was growing more and more aware of Kanda's every physical aspect—his long eyelashes and his piercing blue eyes, his silky black hair that contrasted so starkly yet perfectly with his flawlessly pale face. She had been around Tyki so long, she'd forgotten what it'd been like to be intimidated by Kanda's beauty, and it brought back emotional sensations that she'd long left behind.

Upset with herself, she turned as far away from him as she could.

"Rei," said Kanda. "I'm hungry. Find me a place to eat."

He must've really been hungry to stow his pride and instigate the conversation. She was not so cruel as to blow him off.

"…A café?" she suggested, pointing to the nearest place. It was a small coffee shop with rather pleasantly dim lighting and an overall golden-brownish color scheme. Classy and welcoming, it had to be better than anything else Kanda would think she'd suggest to sabotage him.

He gave a grudging nod and followed her in the small shop, where a waitress greeted them with a smile.

"Como posso ajudá-lo?" she said.

"I…I'm sorry," said Rei, embarrassed, hoping that the waitress at least knew some degree English. "We don't speak Portuguese…"

The waitress, though not fully comprehending, at least seemed to understand that they spoke English. She held up her index finger, indicating that they should wait, and disappeared to the back of the café.

"It seems that they don't recognize you, Kanda," commented Rei. "You're not too famous here?"

Kanda shrugged. "It's nice to be able to walk into the streets without being stampeded to death. I'm more surprised they don't recognize _you_, considering your and Mikk's ads, but I suppose that just shows how different you look without makeup on?"

She rolled her eyes at his smirk.

"Jeez, Kanda. We all know I look awful without makeup—you don't have to rub it in."

He seemed to think differently for a second.

"…I—"

"Hi, I hear you're English tourists?" said a young Portuguese woman who'd suddenly appeared in front of them. "I'm Maria. I studied English for a bit overseas, so I'll be your server tonight. Will it just be you two?"

"Y-yeah, it is," said Rei.

Maria nodded, her eyes lingering on both of them for a little longer than Rei would've expected, causing her to shift a little uncomfortably under the scrutiny. The server didn't say anything else though, and instead smiled widely.

"Sure, just follow me," she said brightly.

Maria led them to a booth in the corner of the café and handed them menus.

"And we're giving out free tickets to the amusement park that just opened down the street the other day," said Maria, placing a pack of tickets at the edge of the table. "It's pretty fun and I recommend it if you're bored and not up to touring the natural sites around here! So, on to your orders. Do you guys have any idea what you'd like?" she questioned as the two Japanese people settled down on the tan-colored seats.

"I'll just have some chocolate cake," said Rei, ignoring Kanda's disapproving scowl.

"It's nine o'clock—you can't have _cake_," he said critically.

"Do I care, Kanda?" said Rei scathingly. "If I want cake, I'll have cake."

"That's it!" said Maria suddenly. "Kanda Yuu! You're a Japanese model, aren't you?"

Kanda exchanged looks with Rei, as if asking her whether he should answer. She shrugged and at the same time made a small inclination with her head; chances were that Maria already knew who he was, and was just asking out of politeness.

"Yeah, I am," he said.

"Wow," said Maria breathlessly. "I've never met a celebrity before…that's really awesome. So is this your girlfriend?" She turned to look at Rei.

This was an awful, awful question to be expected to answer. Kanda just stared at his menu indifferently.

"No," said Rei, "I'm not."

"Oh…you look familiar too," said Maria thoughtfully. It took a few seconds for realization to dawn on her. "Wait, you're the one working with Tyki right now, aren't you?"

The frenzied look in the server's eyes scared Rei slightly—she remembered back to her first meeting with Tyki's fans the first day she'd landed in Spain. These girls, who were willing to buy golden contacts just to imitate their favorite star, were insane and quite prone to killing her. Denying was therefore a lie she needed to protect herself.

"No, I'm not," she said again.

"…Really?" said Maria skeptically.

"…Can we just get our orders?" said Rei somewhat coolly.

"Fine," said Maria with a sigh. "What would you like?"

"Cake," said Rei sullenly.

"I'll have the…sandwich in third picture," said Kanda, handing the menu back to Maria. "And tea, if you have it."

"Sure. Jasmine okay?"

Kanda nodded. Maria smiled at the two of them, noticing their unwillingness to have been discovered.

"Don't worry, guys," she said brilliantly, "it's not like I'm going to tell anyone. You're free to stay as long as you like if no one else recognizes you, which I don't think will happen."

"Thanks," said Rei. "We'd appreciate that."

Maria beamed and waltzed away, her black pumps clicking on the brown tiled floor. Rei let out an exhausted breath and laid her head on her arms against the surface of the table, not caring if Kanda judged her. It was not too comforting to be recognized by a stranger, and to always have to face the questions that were associated with Tyki or Kanda or anyone else who was ten times more famous than she was. Rei much preferred it when she could have just entered a café and gotten her chocolate cake promptly without any inquiries of her identity.

Maybe Kanda had eaten a "nice" pill, for he didn't making any scathing remarks. His hand came up to her head and massaged the back of it gently, letting her neck relax from the tension that had so suddenly obliterated her temporary state of peace.

"I don't want to be famous," she said to the table.

"…Too late," was his answer.

"…I know."

* * *

"Kanda," said Rei as they walked back to the hotel together.

The streets were clearer, now, but the two of them remained rather close in proximity. Their shoulders still touched, and their fingers still brushed each other.

And Rei felt at peace.

"What?"

"Why are the…" Rei's sentence trailed off. She had been wanting to ask for more details about Kanda's position with the yakuza and Spanish Mafia, but suddenly realized that she didn't want the morbidity of the discussion to disrupt her rare moment of solace.

"Why are what?" he said blandly.

"Never mind," she said, shaking her head. "Do you want to go to the amusement park tomorrow?"

He looked at her curiously.

"Just us two?" he asked.

"…I was thinking with everybody," said Rei. "We have enough tickets."

"Oh. No, I don't want to go."

Their steps matched perfectly. Though she had to strain a bit to keep up with his longer stride, they were relatively in synch. Their shoes clipped the sidewalk consistently, one rhythmic beat after another, with Rei's sometimes an echo of his.

They got back to their hotel in silence, through the lobby and up the golden elevator that played soothing café music, down the carpeted still hallway and to Room 763. The door shut softly behind them, and they were engulfed in the dark. The window that spanned the wall in front of them displayed the twinkling lights below.

It was quiet.

And it was peaceful.

His arms abruptly slipped around her waist, embracing her from behind, and as Rei turned her face around to give a response that she didn't know would consist of, Kanda kissed her on the cheek softly, gently.

The kind of atmosphere had to have been expected.

Doused lights and only the scenery of Lisbon's nighttime down below, silence so apparent that only slight breaths could be heard, so apparent that a traitorously beating heart could accelerate and both of them would know.

Because it was very clear that Kanda _did_ want something to happen, and for some reason, Rei didn't know how to react.

The serenity shattered.

* * *

**Free Talk**:

Thank you so much for the overwhelming response last chapter. I am sorry for being bitchy about it, haha, but the degree of response did make me very happy.

I therefore apologize for the delayed update. I didn't think work was going to be this busy, but working eight hours a day in summer really drains me and so I don't really get much typing done when I get home. I think what I'll do is make the chapters longer but the updating frequency will decrease. Sorry. :( I will do my best to update as much as I can.

Most of the time, I'm ambivalent about a chapter, but I can say that I don't like this one very much. I feel bad for making both Tyki and Rei waver, but there's a theme of "first loves don't die" in this fic, and so I believed it was appropriate to introduce it when both of them are isolated with their first loves respectively.

I think Kanda may be too nice and gentle to Rei in this chapter. Um...sorry? I'm just sentimentally thinking of Kanda right now, haha.

Well, LJ discussion later hopefully. I've been doing a horrid job keeping up with it.

Thanks for your support! Please leave a review on your way out. :)

Until next time,

xoxo,  
m.n


	37. Midnight Runs

**Chapter 36: Midnight Runs**

**

* * *

**_"'Cause I can't continue pretending to choose__  
__the opposite sides on which we fall  
__the 'loving you laters' if at all  
__No right minds could wrong be this many times."_

_-_**Sara Bareilles_. _**_Between the Lines._

_

* * *

_

Tyki and Lulu had managed to make it to his bed. Their limbs were intertwined fully, with Lulu on top of Tyki, her hands roaming his chest up and down. It was thrilling. It let his senses run wild, filled him with a sensation of desire that he had long suppressed in Rei's interest. It felt _good_ to no longer restrain himself, and considering that he had been sexually inactive for quite a few weeks, the constant touch of Lulu's provocative lips and fingers was greatly welcomed.

But there had been a time for that, and that time had long passed. Rei did not linger far from Tyki's mind, and every kiss that he succumbed to only amplified his conscience's nagging. His quickly beating heart stilled as Lulu's lips moved from his lips to trace down his collarbones; he took in a deep breath, trying to clear his head. What had been happening for the last ten, fifteen, sixty minutes was wrong. Good as it felt…_wonderful_ as it felt…

There was still Rei.

Tyki let out the breath he had been holding and subtly reached his hand under his pillow, where he knew he'd stashed a gun only hours before. Lulu didn't seem to notice anything, for her hands were as eager as they'd been before, slipping over his abdominal area and embracing his waist. Straddling him, she lifted herself a bit up above him so she could look properly at his face. A smug smirk crept to her lips.

"Eh, Tyki?" she whispered. "Tired already?"

She leaned in for another kiss, but Tyki brought the gun he'd secured to the side of her head, digging it against her temple none too gently.

Lulu looked at him, surprised.

"Sorry," he said. "Playtime was over a long time ago."

"…Really, Tyki?" she said skeptically, unfazed by the weapon and lying against his chest comfortably. "You didn't seem too against it."

"I wasn't," he admitted, "at first. But, you know, there's a limit to how far I could go without feeling guilty for cheating on my girlfriend. We passed that point with the first kiss—"

"You certainly let it get much farther," interrupted Lulu.

"Sadly enough. Rei will have my head now," he said, sitting up and pushing Lulu off of him. His gun was still pointing steadily at her face. "Tell me what you want, Lulubell. I don't understand your motives."

Lulu looked at him impassively. "My motives? What do you mean?"

"I know you're angry about my deal with the Earl. The question is why? Even Cyril—head of this family—did not overreact as badly as you did. Once the Earl agreed, Cyril was fine with the deal. But why are _you_ so angry? It's beyond me."

Lulu narrowed her eyes, but she did not say anything in return. Upon this close inspection, Tyki realized that there were minor physical aspects of hers that he hated. Her eyes were thin and cold; never once in their time of acquaintance had Tyki seen her eyes soften, or at least not contain that calculative shine in them. Her lips were full and lovely, but shrewd, if lips could be shrewd at all. Always too sexy, too seductive, too manipulative.

She blinked, the glitter of her golden eye shadow especially eye-catching.

"You wouldn't be expecting me to say that I am _jealous_ of that little girl, do you?" she said.

Tyki scoffed. "Of course not. We know that if there's anyone on this earth who is completely devoid of emotions, it's you." He tested the trigger of the gun, causing Lulu's eyes to widen in alarm. A cold smirk tugged at his lips. "If you still think you have me safely wrapped around your little finger, you're wrong. Someone replaced you a long time ago."

"Just what is it about this girl?" demanded Lulu. "Eiji says she is nothing special. I've seen it with my own eyes—she _is_ nothing special. Her looks now above average, thanks to your little crew and their fake plastic aesthetics, but nothing compared to other potential girls. Her senses dulled thanks to the modeling life. Her personality contains an insufferable immaturity that I can't stand. She's just a little girl—"

Tyki's finger slipped—on purpose or not, he wasn't sure himself—but the gun was angled past Lulu's ear by a centimeter and the bullet shot straight past her, shattering a vase across the room and lodging itself in the wall. Unhurt though she was, Lulu looked stunned.

"…_Tyki _—"

"Accident," he said coolly, cocking the gun again. "Don't insult her, Lulu. She's younger—less mature, surely, but you'd be surprised what she's like in more serious scenarios. And special? You've met a girl like that before? Reactions like that, _energy _like that, an energy that makes you feel alive when you're with her?" The gun dangled dangerously close to her face. "Why don't you ask yourself that question, Lulubell? What is special about _you_? Your unwavering faithfulness to the family? Your coldness, your manipulative nature, your cruelty?"

"_You—"_

"Why I'm attracted to her—I'm not sure," he continued calmly. "But why I was attracted to you too—that's the real question. You have a fiancé, Lulubell Kamelot. You can stop toying with me now."

The expression that Lulu had was cold yet furious at the same time. And though Tyki knew he had crossed the line this time with his words, the fact that he had seen her so riled up gave him no little satisfaction.

Yet once the door slammed behind Lulu as she left, Tyki sank against the pillows of his bed, laying an arm against his eyes as he breathed in deeply. He'd nearly slipped back. It was that kind of mistake that could cost him major trouble during a mission. And he already didn't know what to say to Rei about it, even though she didn't know—most likely would never know. But guilt still frothed in his chest—he still didn't feel right, knowing he could hide it from her.

He got to his feet, sighing. He needed to prepare for the mission. This mission…he knew what it'd consist of. Guns, sniper material, tracking systems. A dead body, some hushed up media. The royalty always got away such things. Political clout. Rei would hate it. She'd hate every little thing he was going to do, even if it was for her. She'd hate it even more because it was _for_ her.

Tyki headed to the bathroom, greeted by a much colder and sterile atmosphere in the black-tiled room. He twisted the handle of the sink and let the ice cold water run over his hands before splashing it over his face. It had a wonderfully refreshing effect.

Rei didn't know about the Earl's orders, but considering the amount of time Tyki would have to dedicate to it, she'd find out sooner than later, especially if she dug around when she was suspicious. He managed a little smile. She was a rather distrustful character, and surely, if she found out, she'd trust him even less. A bad turn of events, especially when they'd just re-stabilized their relationship.

Perhaps a little break was in order. Give them both some space so Tyki would have time to work, and for Rei to…for Rei to spend more time with Kanda? Tyki scoffed. It was probable. Who knew what they were doing at the moment.

He looked at himself in the mirror; the tiny water droplets clung to strands of his hair the way drowning people clung to a lifeline before finally letting go. A break was going to have to happen. Rei needed time too, to finally decide.

* * *

She wasn't going to lie. She did relax. Something was enjoyable about the situation she was in. Kanda's soft breaths resonating by her ear. His lips against her cheek. His strong arms around her waist. His surprisingly firm chest against her back, where she could feel each solid thump of his heartbeat.

With the embrace came an influx of memories and faded emotions that she had buried away since that disastrous night in the hospital. The fact that they were not together was _his_ fault remained. He could not blame her; she was not willing to _wait_ forever for a man who had showed obvious signs of interest but could not commit to them. So what, in his opinion, if she had moved a bit too fast?

His lips moved lower, down to her neck, pressing against her skin and causing it to prickle into gooseflesh. Kanda had always been physically cooler than others, and the bare contact sent shivers down her spine. He must have noticed, for his arms tightened around her waist, his hands slipped up her sleeveless arms.

But it was all obviously very wrong. Morally. Ethically. Romantically.

She stepped out of his embrace, trying to distance herself from him. He caught her wrist before she was even a foot away and spun her around to face him. Rei opened her mouth to say something, but he kissed her again, this time properly on the lips as his hands trailed down her bare arms and to her waist, holding her in place.  
The kiss lingered, sending an indescribable sensation down her spine. Her mind, though, remained clear, and guilt pinged that same sensation that chilled her to the bone. The kiss jolted her back to reality, away from the dreamlike state she had slipped into as Kanda had hugged her.  
Rei stepped back, pushing Kanda away, and took in a harsh breath of the cold conditioned air. The window's filtered lights from the night scenery were reflected in Kanda's blue eyes, along with anger and warning.  
Rei breathed in again, letting it out slowly, before removing her hands from his chest and taking yet another step back. She wasn't angry. Could _not_ be angry. Because she had let his hug linger, had let herself enjoy that instant of emotion that he so rarely displayed, but _should_ have displayed ages ago.

"I can't do this," she said.

"You obviously can," he replied silkily. His voice was more controlled than she had expected, but that might've been because she herself was controlled. "You let me do it. You remained still. You didn't protest. For three and a half minutes. I counted."  
She could not help but feel amused with his paranoid meticulousness, but did not let it show.

"I was taken back," she answered.

"For three and a half minutes?"  
She didn't answer.

"You enjoyed it," he continued. "You _want_ it."

"I don't," she said quietly. "I wanted it months ago. You didn't give it to me. I was taken back by the hug because I began to think of what I felt back then; that was why I...I did enjoy it. But then I remembered—what happened just now should've happened ages ago, Kanda. I've already told you, I've moved on."

"If you've moved on," he nearly snarled, taking a step towards her, "then don't _lead_ me on—"

"I didn't lead you on," she snapped, the first signs of anger surfacing in retaliation to Kanda's. "In no way was I trying to lead you on—"

"Dinner together? Consenting to stay in the same room together, overnight? You really think that's not leading me on? What else does it imply, Matsumomo? What else does it mean?"

"Dinner together can happen between friends. Staying in the same room only happened because _Tyki_ was concerned for my safety—and believe me, _Kanda Yuu_, that I wouldn't have stayed if he hadn't been so serious about it. Everything means _nothing_, Kanda. You are still as insufferable as you always are, you're still that tactless—"

"Tactless? Matsumomo, do you know—I _never_ bring people tea!"  
Had it been some other scenario where she had just been playfully bantering with him, she would've laughed. She would've laughed so hard at his sheer innocence, his obvious _lack of tact, _at his self-deemed considerateness on his own part. But he—and she as well—was deadly serious, and so they remained in stony silence as Rei bit back a biting response and instead tried to address the situation more sincerely. It was an instant fail.

"Good to know," she answered, still unable to keep the acidic sarcasm from dripping in her voice like poisonous honey. "Good to know that bringing me _tea_—because bringing tea to people is so nice that I should be thanking you on bent knee every time you bring me _tea_—" She stopped, took in a deep breath, and continued away from the rant. "That's not the point. We were fine, Kanda. I was starting to relax around you—something that hasn't happened in who knows how long."

"You're naturally relaxed around me, if I'm…nice," he said sourly.

"There's the catch," she said dryly. "If you're _nice_, which is once in a blue moon, and we all know how hard that is on your part. Kanda, you knew as well as I did exactly how to ruin a comfortable atmosphere between us. And lo and behold, you did _exactly_ that—"

"What the hell do you expect me to do?" he said angrily, his voice starting to grow louder. "_Not_ do anything? Just sit here and be in the same room with you without Mikk around and really _not do anything_?"

"Yes!" Rei said furiously, her mood mirroring Kanda's as it grew in intensity. "Yes, I did! Because I'm trying my damn hardest not to instigate anything, but _you_—why can't you just be considerate for once in your life, Kanda? Why can't you just let things stay the way they are?"

"I have been _more_ than considerate as of late—"

Rei gave a hollow laugh. "Considerate? After practically telling Kate that she's a whore?"

"Schrödlich isn't you—"

"That's not the point!" she shouted. "You can see it, can't you? You can see the problems I'm having right now! Having dinner with you, walking back with you—it was calm! It was so peaceful—I was so thankful that you'd let me calm down, work things out and for once in the last twenty-four hours, not think about something that just stresses me out and makes me want to shoot someone—I was so glad that you weren't just adding onto my problems, and instead giving me some relief. But now—you just had to give me one more thing to stress me out, to make me worry…and I don't want to deal with it…I don't want to deal with anything anymore…"

Her voice had diminished significantly from the start of her tirade, finally ending at some measly desperate whine. Rei crossed her arms uncomfortably and looked the other way, disgusted with herself. Her words always came out the wrong way. Her mind was too weary, her thoughts too jumbled for her to explain herself properly. But her words—though ugly and crude—got the point across. She didn't want to deal with Kanda. Didn't _have_ to. In a purely practical, logistical point of view, Kanda's emotions didn't have to be on the top of her priority chart. Surely her problem with her father came before that.

But the emotional issue that Kanda posed was even more taxing than any twist that the Noah could throw at her. She knew that no matter how much she wanted to justify herself, she'd always be guilty. Of hurting Kanda, of screwing up their relationship, because the words that he'd said to her so long ago, that they could _never_ be "friends" and that there was no middle ground for them, they were undoubtedly true.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I don't want to lead you on. I just can't…"

"I get it," he said icily. "You still have Mikk."

"…Right."

"…What was that word?" he said with mock thought. "Is it…_obligation_?"

Rei's eyes hardened at the familiar term that she had used so scathingly with him.

"No, it's not just obligation," she said frostily. "But if thinking of it like that makes you feel any better, then go ahead."

"Che."

"It's not so simple," she said acerbically. "Have a taste of your own medicine, Kanda. Now you know how I felt back then."

She didn't quite feel like mentioning that giving up on an engaged relationship was not as easy as she had hoped it would be for Kanda back then either.

* * *

Rei was asleep. Or at least trying to be. She kept dozing off, not fully lapsed in slumber but not fully awake either. She was conscious of things happening around her. Like the light finally flickering off around midnight as Kanda went to sleep as well. Like how his shadowed figure was abnormally stiff, indicating that he was obviously awake too. Like the air stilling into a suffocating dense conglomeration of brooding sullenness, anger, guilt. A failure to understand.

Rei found herself waking up completely a few times every hour, gasping for air because it seemed like she'd ended up holding her breath out of tension. She caught Kanda's profile turning slightly at her sheets' louder rustles, but she always looked away from him to avoid discussion. The fifth time that she got up though, he finally sat up with her as well.

"What's wrong with you?" was the brusque inquiry.

"Nothing," she mumbled. "I'm fine."

"Go to sleep," he answered, lying back down. "It's two in the morning—you're keeping me up."

"No one asked you to stay up," she snapped, letting her frustration get the better of her.

"No one can help _but_ stay up," he returned in the same tone. "Not with you making a racket."

"Screw you," she muttered, lying back down on the bed, her mind beginning to obsess with things she didn't want to think about.

They remained in silence for a long, long time. The digital clock silently ticked by, and just as Rei started to drift off again, her phone rang suddenly, its normally dulcet tones killing the silence and snapping her out of her reverie.

"…_Fuck_," said Kanda, his tone too weary for there to be any anger in it.

"Sorry," she said, hastily grabbing for the phone and silencing it with one push of the side button; she looked at the glowing screen to identify who the hell was calling so early in the morning.

It was Tyki.

"Hello?" she whispered tiredly, rolling out of bed and heading for the bathroom.

"Are you fucking serious?" said Kanda irately, now more awake with the extended amount of noise. "It's now _three_ in the morning and you're going to answer a call?"

She ignored him and ducked away behind the door, closing it gently behind her.

"Hello?" she said softly again.

There was a pause at the other end of the line, then a sigh, causing a rush of static to blow into her ear.

"It's late, isn't it?" said Tyki's weary voice.

"Y-yeah," she said, sitting at the edge of the bathtub. "It's late…"

"I'm sorry," he sighed. "I didn't mean to call you so late—that was really thoughtless—did I wake you up? I'm sorry."

"No, I…I wasn't sleeping well anyway," she said with a weak laugh. "Why are you up so late anyway? Can't sleep?"

"Sort of, I guess. I really didn't notice it was so late. I guess that's why no one out on the roads…"

"…Tyki, are you driving?" she said, stunned.

"…I'm sort of on my way to your hotel," he confessed. "I wanted to see you—I guess I forgot the time. But it's all right if you want to go back to bed. It was really senseless that I called so late—what the hell am I on…"

"No, no," she said, standing up. "I'll come with you—I'll just get ready now and wait in the lobby for you."

"…Seriously, sweet? Is something wrong? It's late—you don't have to force yourself."

"No, I'm fine," she said distractedly, looking around the bathroom and trying to find something to wear. "I'll see you when you get here then, all right? Bye then."

She hung up and left the iPhone on the bathroom counter. A suitcase had thankfully been left in the bathroom when she'd showered, allowing her to find something to wear that would be somewhat publically presentable.

It was much too late or early for Rei's head to function properly. She tiredly pulled out a pair of cuffed jean shorts and a white collared short-sleeve, changing into them quickly, looking in the mirror all the while. Her complexion was awful, but she hardly cared at this point. She ran a brush through her hair and slipped out of the bathroom, her phone tucked securely in her pocket.

Rei shuffled around in the dark for her shoes, grabbing what felt like the sandals she'd come in with and trying to fasten the straps around her foot without her sight to aid her. Kanda seemed to have given up on asking what the hell she was doing, but when she opened the door, allowing a stream of light from the hallway to slide into their room, he sat up.

"Where the _hell_ do you think you're going?" he demanded.

"Out," she answered vaguely.

"Are you _serious_? It is _three_ in the morning! Are you insane? Why the hell—"

"I might not be back for a while, or might not come back at all," she said. "I'll be fine though, so you'll be able to catch some sleep easier without me here."

"Rei—"

"I'm going out with Tyki," said Rei finally. "I'll be fine. Sorry for keeping you up. Go to sleep."

He didn't answer, and she didn't wait for one. She shut the door safely behind her and headed down the hallway to the staircase. The elevator was so slow. Now that she was wide awake, Rei took the stairs, jumping each level somewhat uncertainly as she swung over every rail. Her landings were solid though, which was a relief.

Rei arrived at the lobby, earning a confused look from the worn-out receptionist. She simply smiled at him and headed out to the front steps of the hotel where she waited, relishing the feeling of warm zephyrs brushing her hair this way and that.

A few minutes of waiting passed by before a sleek black motorcycle pulled up in the driveway; its driver wore a helmet that obscured his face, but when the valet came over to ask about the vehicle, the smooth Portuguese that flowed from behind the mask in response was undeniably Tyki's.

"Hey, Rei," he said as the valet bowed away. He handed her a smaller helmet. "Want to get on?"

"…We can't walk?" she said halfheartedly.

"No, of course not."

She put on the helmet and gingerly climbed on the bike's seat behind Tyki, wrapping her arms firmly around his chest. With a curt nod to the valet, Tyki revved the engine and the motorcycle whirred to life onto the roads, pelting forward at a speed that was unnecessary for the free streets.

"Slow down, Tyki," she said over the rushing winds. "You don't want to be pulled over by a cop for speeding in your own country."

"You're not one to lecture about speeding, Rei," he chuckled, but he acquiesced to her request and slowed down enough for their conversation to continue without elevated voices.

She let out a breath and laid her heavy head against his back.

"…Rooming with Kanda not going well, sweet?" he guessed.

"What did you expect?" she responded jadedly.

"Nothing better, I suppose," admitted Tyki. "But being annoyed is better than being dead."

"Not if I get annoyed to death. And besides, your family wouldn't kill me, Tyki."

He didn't answer to that.

Their conversation died as Tyki pulled up to a random parking lot that was right in front of the city's center, where a tall marble-based fountain illuminated the square. It was practically empty, save for the scarce passersby, and hardly anything could be heard except for the pitter-patter of the fountain.

Tyki killed the engine and removed his helmet, shaking his head and letting his long curls fall around his face. He looked especially bright-eyed at night.

"You're not scared people will recognize you, Tyki?" Rei said, taking her helmet off as well.

"It'd take a pretty dedicated paparazzi party to be up this late," he laughed. "No worries though, I brought a hat. And you one too."

He placed a frayed, gray baseball cap snugly around her head. His own hat mirrored hers.

"That serves as the crappiest disguise I've ever seen," she said dryly.

"Mm…oh well. Hardly anything can contain my beauty," he grinned, flashing his perfectly white teeth. "We can walk now. Would you like a tour of the city?"

"I went out a bit earlier with Kanda, since he got hungry," she said, letting Tyki lead her by the hand down an empty street that was lit by the buildings on either side of it, most of them restaurants and local eateries. "I don't really fancy an actual tour right now, sorry."

He glanced back at her, his eyes reflecting slight worry. He seemed to understand that she was at an emotional low, even though she wasn't crying all over him. The thought was a tempting one—she'd probably feel better after it. But Kanda was a stupid reason to cry. She'd cried more over him than anyone else in the entirety of her life. Including her dead mother.

Kanda was stupid in general.

Tyki tugged her towards him and wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her securely against his chest. His fingers toyed with her hair, sometimes brushing against her cheek in a soothing manner.

"How are you feeling?" he said gently.

"…Tired," said Rei, leaning her head lightly against his shoulder as they continued walking extremely slowly down the sidewalk. "I'm not sleepy though."

"…I'm trying to think which one has upset you more," said Tyki in that same gentle tone. "Kanda or your dad?"

"…I don't know," she said resignedly. "I'm just glad it's not you."

She thought his grip around her shoulder tensed a bit, causing her to look up at him in confusion. He met her gaze with a somewhat forced smile before turning his attention back to the vacancy in front of him.

"Why'd you call me out so suddenly?" said Rei.

"…Missed you," he said with a playful smile.

"Cheesy answer."

"…It's the truth?"

Rei rolled her eyes. "You're not really on anything, are you?"

"Baby—"

"Oh my goodness, Tyki," she said, shuddering. "Don't you _ever_ call me that."

"Baby?" he repeated, perplexed. "Hm…I wasn't aware you didn't like that particular term of endearment."

"Dear is fine. Sweet is fine. Darling is a stretch. Baby is just…" Rei grimaced. "So superficial."

"Honey? Princess?"

"_Even worse_."

Tyki chuckled. "Another thing to add to my extensive list on things that annoy you. Don't worry, _love_—" He paused a bit to see her reaction. Rei just gave him a stony look, indicative that the term was passable, and he continued. "I'm not on anything. I haven't been on anything since our lovely little cold shoulder game."

"That's good to hear."

He abruptly leaned down and kissed her firmly but quickly, straightening up immediately afterward with no intention of anything more. Rei managed a halfhearted smile and did not say anything. It was clear that she wasn't the only one carrying a rather heavy heart.

* * *

Kanda wanted to strangle someone. Who the _hell_ went out at three in the morning with their ridiculous boyfriend for a sure-as-bloody-hell _not_ romantic nighttime stroll? He couldn't have asked for a worse roommate. He really wanted to strangle someone.

The time now read three thirty a.m., and though he was physically exhausted, his mind didn't want to shut down. It was too full of…many, many insults to allow himself to rest properly.

Kanda readjusted his reclining position, trying to make himself more comfortable. His back ached. This additional pain only made him want to punch a baby even more. That would probably make him feel better.

He paused a moment in his thoughts. He wanted to punch a baby? What kind of ill-thought delusions was he having? Kanda had always thought of himself as a morning person, but it was clear that this early in the morning was too much for him, even.

He groaned and sat up, his hair falling messily over his shoulders. He needed a haircut. This length was getting a little ridiculous. Hell, it was bad enough that it took him longer to shower than it took Rei. But then again, she was _hardly_ a feministic being.

Kanda stood up and flicked on the lights. The pale golden glow filled the room with a warmth that he despised; he shut off the lights and relaxed considerably more as he was once again engulfed in darkness.

So. He was irritated, to say the least. But she _had_ relaxed in his hold. Her profile had remained against his chest for precisely a little more than two hundred ten heartbeats. The slow rhythmic beating of his heart against his ribcage. And Kanda easily could recall how he'd felt, how…how just _right_ it felt with his arms around her waist, his fingers trailing up her bare arms.

He knew he had not been alone when he'd felt it. Every passing second, every breath taken in, _everything_ had been right. For both of them. Did she ever feel like that when she was with Mikk? Kanda had to doubt it. That degree of…internal peace? Was that possible with two different people?

It just didn't seem believable. It was impossible that he was the only one to feel…right.

Kanda walked to the large window and brushed aside the curtains gently, letting a stream of moonlight mixed with electronic nightlight to illuminate his eyes.

Stubborn and ridiculous, that was what he was.

And he still hadn't gotten an ounce of sleep.

* * *

They kept walking. One step at a time. Tyki was so tall, his stride so long. One and a half of Rei's steps. But he slowed down. Made their paces match. Until their beats were perfectly in synch, each foot aligned, a block of cement covered one at a time. Tyki walked a little slower, Rei walked a little faster.

A compromise.

"We probably shouldn't keep walking," he said after what seemed to be perhaps half an hour of silence. "I keep feeling like a few people have recognized us."

"You," she corrected. She had felt the lingering eyes as well, and when she glanced back behind her nervously, she caught sight of a dark-clad figure ducking behind the shadow of a light pole, which ineffectively left his large Nikon camera in sight. "But you're right. We should probably head back."

A stifling room with Kanda was the last place she wanted to be right now. Even if the Japanese male was already asleep. Intuition told her that he wasn't though, that perhaps he was waiting for her to come back.

A small twinge of guilt.

But she still didn't want to return.

Tyki sensed her reluctance and gave her a smile.

"I have a few places here where we'll get a private parlor."

"At this time of night?"

"People will always open their doors for me, Rei," he grinned. "Being a prince is a good thing at times."

He guided her a bit quickly down the sidewalk and across the street. They paced themselves up to behind an alleyway, speeding up a bit as the footsteps behind them also quickened.

"Here, Rei," said Tyki, taking a card from his pocket and pressing it against a solid black square that was fastened against the brick wall beside an ebony door. A green light beeped and a lock unfastened. Tyki opened the door and pushed Rei inside just as she caught a glimpse of their followers rounding the corner; Tyki joined her in the room and shut the door behind him, looking completely unfazed.

The room they'd just entered was a small one that was dimly lit by red lanterns and candles. Like the Queluz palace, it had a Rococo kind of architecture, elegant and ornate. Evidently old.

"Alleyways are useful," Tyki remarked, tucking the stiff plastic card back in his pocket. "So many back entrances—just push the card against the ID screen and they automatically let you in. I've gotten away from quite a few fans that way. Now where are the servers?"

"We don't need anything, Tyki," said Rei. "Everyone's asleep, we don't need to bother them—"

Tyki pressed a silver button next to the light switch, and a buzzing sound resounded in the room.

"Tyki…"

"They're awake, Rei," he said consolingly. "It's a twenty-four hour service."

As if right on cue, an impeccably dressed waiter entered from a side door. He had a good-natured face with soft eyes, with his age most likely no older than thirty. His eyes landed on Tyki in surprise.

"Mr. Mikk!" he said enthusiastically, his English hardly hampered by his endearing accent. "Wonderful to see you back, sir."

"Good to be back…here, anyway," grinned Tyki. "Same room, Benedito."

"Certainly. Drinks?"

"Same as always."

"Of course. And for the lady?" said Benedito, addressing Rei with a bow.

"…Water?" she said hesitantly.

Benedito looked surprised.

"We have plenty of other drinks as well, mademoiselle," he said, adding the French address with a smile. "Margarita? Martini? Shall I bring you a menu?"

"No…I, um, don't drink," said Rei, somewhat embarrassed. "Water is fine."

Tyki rolled his eyes. "Don't mind her, just get her water. We'll just be in the room, Benedito."

"I'll have it out right away, sir. Anything else?"

"No, we're fine. Thanks."

They all left the room, Benedito through the door he'd come in, Rei and Tyki through the staircase leading up.

"This place is…" she said, waiting for him to answer.

"An esteemed, five-star restaurant whose origins date back quite a few centuries," he replied as they climbed up the polished stairs. "The architecture obviously shows its age, but in terms of interior quality…it's really as good as new. They've been serving the royal family for years, allowing us to come in at odd hours if we want to escape from the palace."

"Or if you want to have an affair or two," said Rei bluntly.

"…True," he yielded.

"I assume Mr. Benedito has seen you multiple times with various women then?" said Rei wryly.

"…Yes."

"Of course," she muttered, beginning to feel out of sorts again. This had always been a subject that irritated her, even if she was the one to bring it up.

They stopped at the second level and entered the first room on their right, a room with maroon-colored walls and an overall warm color theme. A king-sized bed stood rigidly at the far end of the room, its crimson covers particularly beautiful.

Tyki led her not to the bed but instead to a cashmere sofa that sat quite a distance away from the bed, across from a flat-screen television set, complete with a stereo and an enormous collection of DVDs. Rei sat down reluctantly beside him, but pushed his hand away when he attempted to wrap his arm around her shoulders again.

Tyki let out a sigh and scooted away from her, to the opposite end of the sofa. She looked at him, initially bemused but then wary at the way he looked back at her.

"I have something to tell you," he said quietly.

Her stomach dropped. Her mind whirred. She had to think about the worst possible scenario.

"You're breaking up with me," she said.

Tyki's eye twitched with amusement. She was wrong.

"No," he said.

Next worst thing. He slept with Lulubell. She didn't want to think about that one, so she skipped to the next worst thing.

"You slept with Satsuma."

Tyki visibly blanched. Wrong again. Back to number two.

"You slept with Lulubell."

His slightly agape mouth closed and his face grew a bit more serious. Rei let out a near-anguished groan and turned the other way, her body already stiff as her heart began to convulse in that manner so common nowadays when she was put under some great stress. This _was_ the worst news possible. Worse than a breakup—why was it that the Noah family always took things she needed away from her?

Tyki's hand slipped to her shoulder; she half-thought about shrieking at him but realized that she was much too exhausted to do so, and instead just jerked out of his reach.

"I didn't sleep with her," said Tyki gently. "I swear, I swear. Turn around, please."

Rei did, but her hands were already up in the air to slap him on both sides of his face for being an ass and joking about it; Tyki caught her wrists and held them in place, looking at her levelly.

"I didn't sleep with her," he repeated, "but I did make out with her. We got semi-close, but I…I stopped."

Tyki paused when he realized that Rei was no longer struggling with his grip and allowed it to relax a bit. Maybe her expression was one of indifference, because he looked surprised with her degree of control. He should've attributed her so-called "self-control" to the time of day. Her mind was too numbed by everything to think properly.

"You made out with her," Rei managed to say.

Tyki did not dodge the question, nor did he stutter. He simply looked at her resolutely and said, "Yes."

"…I see."

Tyki let go of her wrists, allowing them to slowly fall to her side.

"Now that you know the truth, you can hit me," he said politely. "As hard as you'd like."

If he really thought that she wouldn't hit him, he was dead wrong. Rei snapped back her hand and let it fly across his cheek with a stinging smack, precisely at the moment that Benedito walked into the room with his tray of drinks.

"Mr. Mikk!" the server said in alarm, nearly dropping what he was carrying.

"It's fine, it's fine," grimaced Tyki as he rubbed his cheek. "I said she could."

"Sir, you are a _prince_ here and you cannot just let—"

"It's fine, Benedito," chuckled Tyki, motioning for him to place the tray down. "You can leave."

Benedito gave them a perplexed look but bowed away without another word. Tyki reached over and took the two glasses. Keeping the golden-colored drink for himself, he handed Rei the other colorless glass. She took it silently and watched as Tyki took a deep drink, draining it one gulp.

"Why did you tell me?" said Rei suddenly.

A smirk crawled to Tyki's lips.

"I was afraid you'd figure out the hard way," he said. "You'd be even more pissed off if Lulu told you, right?"

"She wouldn't have told me," said Rei determinedly. "Telling me would relinquish any control she has over my dad. If you hadn't told me, I would've never found out."

Tyki paused, then leaned forward and kissed her very gently on the cheek. He did not answer the question, though. Rei decided to approach the situation differently.

"I let Kanda hug me."

He stared at her.

"And we kissed."

Tyki's golden eyes widened by an infinitesimal amount. Rei returned his stare resolutely.

"You…can hit me too?" she offered. "Just not as hard as you'd like?"

He blinked at this statement.

"You know I could never hit you," he said incredulously. "Are…are you crazy? You can't just offer to let someone hit you—you're a girl!"

"You happen to be a prince, and you let me hit you," she said pointedly. "Would you like to answer my question now?"

"No, I will not hit you," he said defiantly.

"I didn't mean that one. Why did you tell me about you and Lulu?"

"How did it go from Kanda back to Lulu?"

"To let you know that you're not the only one with…romantic indecisiveness."

He gave her a cryptic smile.

"I would like to give you a choice," he said simply.

"…What?"

"I told you about Lulu because I am at the point where I can safely say that Lulu has no more control over me. And that I have made my…decision, I suppose."

"What is this, a proposal?" she said with a slight wry smirk.

"Goodness, no," he chortled shortly, growing somber almost immediately after. "But…I…I've just decided, and…well…never mind." He paused, as if trying to reorganize his thoughts and come out with a more coherent statement. "…Even when I suggested you and Kanda staying together in a room, I was well aware—and still am—of the lingering…sexual tension, I could say, between you and Kanda." He smirked again at Rei's reaction to his terminology. "Don't give me that look—it's very true. There is an undeniable amount of attraction between the two of you, no matter how much I hate it." His smirk had turned wry. "But we both know that emotionally and mentally, Kanda is better for you."

"We've had this discussion before," said Rei sharply. "I still—"

"You don't understand," he cut her off.. "I…now that I'm _back_, here, there are parts of my personality that will be…undone…and you won't like them. So I want you to choose—"

"Between you and Kanda?" she said coolly. "What is this, some reality show? I thought it was clear a long time ago—"

"You don't understand!" he said, frustration lining his tone considerably. "I am giving you—one chance, Rei, because we all know how much I want to hold on to you—I'm giving you time to decide. There is no point in keeping you beside me when you hate it—"

"I don't hate it!"

"But you don't know that," he said. "You don't know—what would it be like if you were next to Kanda? Without any restrictions? Would you—" His voice hitched a bit, causing Tyki to clear his throat. "Would you fall back in love with him? He's better, after all—"

"Tyki!"

"I want us to take a break," said Tyki firmly, his eyes closing. "I'm going to Spain for a while—on business—which will give us time to be away from each other. I want you to decide. I want everything to be obligation-free, I want your decision to be completely logical."

"Logic defies the point of emotions," returned Rei. "You can't expect a logical relationship decision."

"You know what I mean."

Her green eyes narrowed.

"What are you planning?" she said coldly. "I know you're planning something—what's going on?"

"Nothing," said Tyki. "Absolutely nothing that would change what…what I feel for you."

Rei stared at him. His sentiment was unwarranted and unnatural, but she could not bring herself to say anything. It was clear what he wanted, and what he wanted was reasonable. He was no longer wavering. He was giving her time to reach that same point.

Tyki cleared his throat.

"When I come back from…Spain," he said, "you can tell me then. And if you do…decide on Kanda, then…" He cleared his throat again, looking visibly agitated at the prospect. "Yeah. We'll work it out from there. But it'll probably be a week or I don't know how long before I return, and—"

Rei kissed him. Not lingeringly. It lasted maybe a second, less, even. But it was enough to convey her consent, and her understanding.

Tyki gave a weary sigh, letting his forehead rest on hers.

"Thanks," he whispered.

Rei couldn't find the right words to say in return.

* * *

She would be stuck with Kanda. On a Ferris wheel. Alone.

With her kind of luck, Rei should've expected it. But it had _seemed_ that they were going to be with Kate and Lavi in the same compartment when they'd counted off. But no. Kate and Lavi were now with Allen and Lenalee. And Rei and Kanda were alone. Not speaking to each other.

Oh, the joy.

Rei hadn't known that Tyki wasn't going to be here. She hadn't expected his sudden trip to Spain on behalf of the rest of the Noah family to be today. Business, he'd called it. A social gathering, he'd added with disgust. Of course. She'd wanted a day with him to study him a bit more. To get something out of what he was hiding. Because he was _definitely_ hiding something.

Obviously, she hadn't been able to.

So Tyki hadn't been able to accompany her to the amusement park, but the rest of the group had been all for it, seeing as Cross _still_ had no idea how to portray desperation for any of them. What a stupid topic.

Rei yawned as she leaned her head against the glass window of the little compartment. Kanda was sitting across from her at the other end, giving her the suspicious impression that he was trying to be as far away from her as possible. His eyes were closed, but Rei knew by now that just because his eyes were closed didn't mean he was sleeping. It just meant that he wanted to pretend that she wasn't there. To make things easier on his eyes, she could imagine him saying.

The wheel was moving up one compartment by one, and they were halfway to the top. Rei glanced at the one that Kate, Lavi, Allen, and Lenalee were in. The four of them were laughing and joking around. Rei was infinitely jealous. Nothing killed an afternoon like sitting with a sullen Kanda, alone.

But it _was_ her fault. Not that apologizing would do anything. But that resolute fact remained. Rei gave a little sigh. Perhaps it would be worth a shot though.

"I'm sorry," she said, deciding to be straightforward and breaking the silence.

Kanda didn't even open his eyes. Rei frowned, scooting down her seat so she could look at him closely.

"Hey…hello?" she said softly.

Kanda's breaths were slow, even, and quiet. His head kept lolling to the side, hitting the window somewhat indecorously, but it was clear that he was actually asleep. Rei leaned back in her chair, surprised and guilty. He must've gotten no sleep the night before…she hadn't gotten much either, but Tyki had let her stay in the restaurant with him, and she had managed to salvage a few hours of sleep next to him. Rei winced. Hopefully Kanda had not been waiting for the entire night…

She cleared her throat uncomfortably and reached out, touching his pale hand experimentally. He didn't move—he was sound asleep.

Her fingers wrapped around his palm, gently, unconsciously.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I hope you know that I really mean it."

* * *

"Jas, Debi," said Tyki, entering a room on the lowest floor of the palace. Unlike the others, which were richly decorated with historical beautifications, this room was sleek and clearly modern. Nothing hung on three of the bare white walls; the last was covered by several large monitors that were powered by sets of supercomputers.

"Hey," said the twins simultaneously, not even turning around to see him. Both of their hands were furiously clicking at their own respective keyboards, pulling up various images on the screens. Maps, live streaming, addresses…everything seemed clearer, better, and faster on the screens than the last time Tyki had bothered to track someone electronically.

"These computers new?" he said, leaning between the two of them.

"From an American service," answered Jas. "Oak Ridge, actually. Works crazy fast, too. Great stuff."

"How much?" questioned Tyki.

"…You don't wanna know."

"Right," said Tyki, deciding to let the question linger in the air. "What have we got?"

"First, where's your girlfriend?" asked Debitto.

"Debitto, seriously."

"Just wondering," shrugged Debitto. "Lulu might find her and kill her when you're not looking."

"What the hell?" said Tyki, genuinely alarmed.

"Metaphorically, I suppose," admitted Debitto. "Lulu looked like she was about to _kill_ someone this morning…"

"She always looks like that," muttered Tyki. "Whatever, give me the intel—who am I looking at?"

A picture of an Asian man pulled up on one of the screens right in the center. Typical of everyone in his race, he had narrow brown eyes, but bleached hair with blunt bangs and a braided ponytail. Tyki wrinkled his nose.

"Needs a serious makeover," the model-slash- assassin remarked.

"Name's Howard Link," chimed Debitto. "From China, I think. Works right under Malcolm C. Leverrier, who's the head of the yakuza."

"That name doesn't sound very…Japanese, you know."

"Damn, Tyki, have you been paying attention to anything that's been going on overseas for the last…ten years?" sighed Jas, pulling up a few more files on a separate screen. The image of a hawk-like man with a toothbrush-mustache was enlarged in prominence.

"Leverrier's from England," explained Jas. "He took over the yakuza a while ago, killed the main guy in charge at the time, which caused a lot of the Japs to revolt and whatnot, 'cause they didn't like him much. That's why we have Eiji."

"He came over because he didn't like what was going on in Japan?" said Tyki.

"Kinda. Didn't like the change in power, blah, blah," said Jas indifferently. "Boring stuff. Point is, this Howard Link guy works _directly_ under Leverrier, so he's a top-notch assassin and agent, which in turn means that whoever he's after has to be big fish."

"His gear was bugged when he went through Portuguese security at the airport," said Debitto, swiveling around in his chair to meet Tyki's eyes for the first time. "_Damn_, man, did you get _any_ sleep last night?"

Tyki blinked. "I look that bad?"

Debitto tugged his twin on the shoulder, causing him to turn around as well. The reaction was the exact same.

"_Damn,_ man, did you get _any_ sleep? Like at _all_?"

"What, is there an echo in here?" Debitto muttered. "But seriously, Tyki, you look a mess."

"A hot mess, maybe," added Jas consolingly.

"But still a mess," said his black-haired twin. "Go drink some coffee, catch like an hour of sleep or something. You're about to keel over and die. We'll call ya when he gets moving."

"Which would be now," said Tyki, his eyes fixated on the screen. He pushed his way between the twins and took over a keyboard, his fingers typing the command to zoom in on the red dot that indicated his target. It was moving steadily north from a hotel in the very south part of Lisbon.

"He's movin' pretty fast…" said Debitto seriously. "What time is it, twelve? Should be lunch rush hour—he's not in a car or bus. Probably a motorbike. Obviously can drive at that."

"North…" murmured Tyki. "What's north? Any major attractions, meetings, conferences? You sure it was sniper gear, not bombs or anything?"

Jas snorted. "Bombs? The government would get that, not us. Nah, it's definitely guns, and we're the only ones who know it."

"Did you guys get any potential targets?" said Tyki.

"Er…yeah," said Debitto, rummaging through a few papers in front of him. "These are in order of likelihood—Eiji Matsumomo, but we ruled him out because the yakuza know he's here with us, and they wouldn't dare make that move by attacking someone right in the palace. Besides, we're west of where this guy's moving. Next is Tohru Hitachi, some dude of the Japanese ministry who's shut down a few of the yakuza dealings, here for a talk of some sort…Ye Lin, from China, same as Hitachi, just overseas in Hong Kong—"

"I don't need the reason, just give me the names," said Tyki dryly as he typed in all the names to generate their locations.

"Fine, fine," said Debitto lazily, genuinely unperturbed by the potential danger in the whole situation. "Jing Liao, Hyun Lee Choi, and lastly, Yuu Kanda—"

Tyki's fingers froze.

"Hey, wait, isn't that the model? As in, our guy?" said Debitto, staring at the paper in front of him as if he'd read it for the first time.

"How did you _not_ notice that?"

"He's at the bottom of the list! How was I supposed to remember? Besides, he just got here yesterday—there's no way the hitman could follow up that fast!"

"Where the hell is Kanda, right now?" said Tyki.

"I doubt he's after Kanda—"

"_Where, Debitto?_"

Debitto sighed. "He went with the rest of your crew. You know, to the amusement park?"

There was a silence after his words.

"Which would be," said Jas slowly, "in the…north…"

The twins stared up at Tyki uneasily. With nervous smiles.

These twins were brilliant.

Just really, really brilliant.


	38. Life With Strings Attached

**Chapter 37: Life With Strings Attached  
**

Howard Link was an interesting person. His age was unknown, his family tree was unidentified, and his personal relations were unclear. He was so interesting that even his genetic makeup had been confused by the Noah twins, who were tailing him without his knowing.

Politically German but with strong traces of Oriental genes, (which was why he'd been mistaken to be Chinese), Howard Link had been raised in England in an orphanage and taken under the wing of Malcolm Leverrier at the age of seven, when he'd been relocated to a Chinese facility under Leverrier's care. Leverrier had introduced him to a lifestyle that did not strike Howard Link as peculiar in the slightest: he was encouraged to play with guns, knives, and even medieval axes, was taught to speak multiple languages fluently, even the dead ones such as Latin, and was instructed to learn all the possible ways to bake an impeccable cherry pie.

Which was why Howard Link's attitude towards Leverrier was nothing short of reverence; he idolized the man with every fiber of his being, emulating everything that Leverrier had to offer, down to the obsession with confectionery and baked goods. Strange fetish though it was for a top-notch assassin, Howard Link appreciated all that Leverrier had to order and enacted all missions with that same kind of idyllic reverence he always had. Every mission was completed successfully and without a hitch, and every mission was proclaimed as justice in the name of Malcolm C. Leverrier.

In other words, he saw Leverrier as a god. With a toothbrush mustache. And a countenance that strikingly resembled an ugly hawk.

It was only his idolization of Leverrier that motivated Howard Link to fly all the way from chilly Japan to much warmer Portugal, which he detested with a passion. Warm beaches and golden skies? An abomination to all mankind.

Howard Link did know that the mission was of vital importance though. In fact, he was going to get rid of a _very_ important person whom Leverrier had told him was an extreme thorn in his side. And all thorns in Leverrier's godly side had to be plucked and removed with a sniper rifle, incinerated into ashes and wiped from the face of the earth. Especially when they had survived too many assassination attempts. If they lived when they weren't supposed to, Howard Link made it a personal goal to ensure that they died—permanently—so they would not irritate Leverrier any further. That was rule number one in Howard Link's doctrine.

Howard Link therefore sped on his motorcycle with great eagerness and seriousness towards the amusement park located in northern Lisbon. His sniper gear was strapped none-too-unnoticeably to his back, all its contents itching to be used to its finest ability to eliminate the pest who had dared to annoy Malcolm C. Leverrier.

Because Malcolm C. Leverrier's word was law, and Howard Link was only too keen to make all of his deity's dreams a reality.

* * *

Rei leaned over in her seat as the Ferris wheel moved up slightly, one cart at a time. They had been the first to step onto the ride, given the VIP passes that Lavi had insisted they buy in order to save time, and were still waiting for the rest of the passengers to board. Kanda seemed to have fallen asleep the moment they'd sat down.

She gave a sigh and crossed her arms, propping her legs up on the seat across from her as she looked through the glass window down on the amusement park scenes down below. The wheel came to an abrupt stop all of a sudden, causing their compartment to halt with a jerk and then rock back and forth while emitting an eerie creak. Kanda's eyes snapped open instantly—he was clearly a light sleeper—and he sat up straight, looking around the compartment as if reminding himself exactly where he was. His blue eyes landed on Rei, and realization dawned on him.

"How long have I been asleep?" he asked.

"Five minutes or less," she answered, somewhat amused with his disorientation. "You can go back to sleep—nothing's wrong."

He shook his head, the stray strands of hair from his ponytail swinging back and forth with every movement.

"I'm fine."

An awkward silence settled. Great. Rei really didn't know what to do with these silences—what was she supposed to say? All the courage she'd gathered to apologize had evaporated the moment Kanda had woken up.

"Where'd you and Mikk go last night?" said Kanda.

"Just…around," said Rei offhandedly. "He showed me a restaurant that he goes to often…that was about it…"

"I see," said Kanda icily.

Rei winced unconsciously, knowing that Kanda's caustic attitude was attributed to the fact that she hadn't returned last night and had therefore disturbed his sleep cycle greatly. She blew out a breath and ran a hand through her hair, staring at her sandals. If there was an appropriate time to apologize again, now was it. And her window of opportunity was slowly closing with every passing second, because the more she let herself mull over it, the more time she had to re-convince herself that everything hadn't _technically_ been her fault, and that if she was going to apologize, Kanda should too.

"Kanda—"

"Save it."

She turned to stare at him, taken back by his interruption.

"Sorry?" she said, unable to keep traces of insolence out of her voice.

"I said to save it. I know you're going to apologize. I don't want to hear it."

Rei opened her mouth, closed it to turn his words over one more time in her head to see if she could interpret them any other way, then reopened her mouth.

"I was going to say that you're a douche bag," she said sourly.

Much to her surprise, Kanda smirked instead of retorting.

"Really," he said loftily. "That's certainly not what you said…three minutes ago, I suppose. What was that?" His face screwed up in mock thought as he quoted, "'I'm sorry. I hope you know I really mean it.'"

Rei opened and closed her mouth wordlessly like a goldfish, indignation rendering her speechless as her face grew red. It took her a few seconds to recover her ability to speak.

"You…_you were awake_?" she sputtered.

"Yes, I was," said Kanda smugly.

"_Why didn't you say something_?"

"Because it was _exceedingly_ funny."

"You just let me say that and _ignored_ me?"

"Yes, I did." His smirk was growing so wide that it was the closest thing she'd seen from him that resembled a smile.

"How…_How could you_?"

"What else can I say," he said superciliously, crossing his arms as he looked at her with an infuriating air of superiority. "It was funny. And you really meant it, which was even more hilarious. It made my all-nighter completely worth it."

Rei was aghast.

"I will never, ever apologize to you _ever _again," she said. "Ever. You don't take apologies seriously, and you…" She turned to the other side of her compartment, wildly searching for words that could articulate her shock and mortification. "I need a hole to hide myself in…"

"You could jump out the window," he suggested.

She turned back around to stare at him, trying to determine if he was joking or not. The amused flicker in his eyes indicated that indeed he was; it then struck her that Kanda had to be _extremely_ tired to crack a joke, crude though it was.

"Please go back to sleep," she said imploringly. "Just…sleep. So I don't have to look at you anymore."

"What, my being awake makes you irresistibly attracted to me?"

"_Stop joking_!" said a scandalized Rei. "You're making…you're making the world end! The people on that roller coaster are going to die because of you!"

"I've seen that movie. _Final Destination_, right? Hilarious movie."

"Stop saying things are hilarious—you never laugh anyway!"

"I _do_ laugh."

"With what, your stomach?"

"No, with my eyes."

"…That was an extremely questionable statement."

"It was a joke."

"See? Bam, the roller coaster just broke. Millions of people are going to die around the world because of that joke. Our own compartment is going to fall at the very top of the Ferris wheel and we're going to die—"

At that moment, something white-hot whizzed a few inches in front of her face, followed almost simultaneously by an earsplitting boom as it lodged into the other side of the compartment. The glass window to her right shattered into tiny shards, sprinkled equally inside and outside the vehicle. Rei instinctively screamed, lurching backwards in her seat as her heartbeat accelerated with panic before she could get her mind to register what had just found its way into their compartment. Once she had, however, she did the next thing that made the most sense—she leapt against Kanda and dragged him to the floor of the compartment where they were shielded from sight by the dark plastic base of the compound.

Kanda seemed to have caught onto the situation faster than Rei had expected him to. His eyes grew alert, his face shocked yet serious as his arms encircled her waist, flattening both of them against the floor. Rei struggled a bit to sit up, looking Kanda in the face but not without the passing realization of how close their faces were.

"This isn't safe," she whispered. "They're going to know—if we're out of sight, they're going to aim for the parts they can't see—"

"It's better than being where they _can_ see us," he snapped, all previous humor disappearing. "We have to—"

Another bullet cut his sentence short, causing another boom to resound in the air and swing the rectangular box of plastic precipitously back and forth on its hinges. Rei held her breath, forcing herself to remain calm but unable to repress the unconscious action of digging her fingers into Kanda's back.

"We've got to get down," said Rei. "We're just sitting ducks here—have the others noticed what's going on?"

"How the hell am I supposed to know? By the time they rotate us down, we're going to be dead—"

"Stop being a pessimist!" she said bitingly. "Think! What can we do?"

"Jump," he snapped.

"We're too far up—we're just going to splat the moment we hit the ground!"

"The ride's already started—when we're at the lowest point, kick open the door and jump."

Rei took in a few deep breaths, trying to judge by feel where they were in terms of height.

"They've stopped shooting," she said somewhat calmly. "They're confused because they don't know which compartment we're in—or maybe because we're too high up for them to angle properly. The bullets came from the right side, which is good because the doors are on the left…"

"How high's this wheel?"

"No idea."

"You can tell when we're at the top though," said Kanda serenely. "Your stomach lurches a bit when we descend—so if we time it right…right when we feel that we're ascending, we're going to have to jump."

"We're ascending right now, right?" she said breathlessly, trying to feel where they were.

"…Yeah," said Kanda after a moment's pause. His grip tightened on her waist, but now was hardly the time to be thinking about it. "Here's the top…that ascension took more than ten seconds…count…"

"Three," she started, taking into account Kanda's wasted breath. "Four, five—"

A bullet whizzed right above Kanda's head—Rei pulled him down further on top of her, her hand curling into his hair as she forced his head against her shoulder.

"Six, seven," she said frantically.

"You're smothering me," he said, his voice muffled.

"Shut up, no one cares right now—"

"You stopped counting!"

"Why aren't you counting in your head?"

"Are we at the lowest point yet?"

"I don't know!"

"Shit, we're moving up—kick open the door, Matsumomo!"

She twisted her left leg and kicked the plastic door as hard as she could. It yielded surprisingly easily, and without a second's hesitation, she rolled Kanda over and out of the compartment.

The fall was longer than she'd thought it'd be. Rei could see nothing but the steel foundation of the Ferris wheel in front of her—Kanda's face was somewhere under hers, yet it was somehow not the most captivating thing at the moment, as it was crossed between bewilderment, fury, and evident fear. She thought wildly that Kanda was going to serve as a cushion to her fall, but it was merely a fleeting thought and an awful one at that, and before she could think coherently about anything else, they landed with a enormous impact on a thankfully smooth surface.

Kanda gave a yell of pain at the contact, his obvious discomfort intensified by her landing on top of him. The arms around her waist relaxed, dropping to Kanda's sides heavily. Rei lied still for a few seconds, her head numbed by the fall. Only when Kanda groaned under her did she attempt to scramble to her feet as fast as she could to get off of him in consideration of his evidently worse state.

"Kanda?" she said dizzily, stumbling a bit. "Kanda, are you all right?"

His answer was hardly hampered by his labored breathing. "_Fuck no_!"

"Oh…shit," she said, rolling him indecorously away from the Ferris wheel so they could hide behind the steel foundation. "Hang on, hang on…" She half rolled, half dragged him to the edge and pulled him behind their safety, propping him up against the wall.

"Kanda?" she whispered. "Kanda, come on, talk to me…"

"_You're so fucking heavy_!"

"Thanks," she said, relieved more than anything. "Okay, what hurts?"

"My back, obviously!"

"Um, okay," she said a bit more frenetically, turning him around so she was leaning against her shoulder. "Your back, right, uh, I'm not a doctor, I don't know what to do—"

"_Call the fucking police, you idiot_!"

"Police. Police. Right," said Rei anxiously. She then paused, confronted with a small problem."…Do I dial 911?"

Kanda's expression was of pure incredulity and annoyance. "How the hell should I know?"

People from the sidelines were beginning to rush over to them, all of them chattering away in Portuguese with tones of conglomerated worry and disbelief. They seemed to be asking about the two foreigners' wellbeing, but Rei hardly knew how to answer.

"I don't understand what you're saying!" she said frantically. "I need the police—somewhat shot at us—he needs to go to a hospital—"

"Ma'am," said one man in English, kneeling down beside them, "calm down, what's going on?"

"Someone shot at us!" she said loudly, thinking that the words sounded less dramatic than they were supposed to. When the attendant just stared blankly at her, Rei began to point at Kanda for emphasis. "He—_Kanda freaking Yuu_—needs to get to a hospital because he's hurt—and you need to stop the ride because _other _people are going to get hurt—"

"Stop the ride!" hollered the attendant to his friend across the wheel. "Stop it!" He switched to Portuguese and yelled something equally ferociously. The wheel stopped almost instantly, and each carriage began to rotate into the regular de-boarding routine.

Some part of her brain—some _insane_ part of her brain—was far, far away from the chaotic scenario she was entangled in. It was a crazy yet clear part of her brain that was imagining where that bullet had come from, high from an angle that would shatter that three-inch window effortlessly. It had come from the right, and based on the map she'd seen when she'd come in, the only ride to their right that was high enough to combat with the Ferris wheel's height in the middle of its ascension—for they had not been shot at during the peak of the ride—was the adventure fun house's roof. A perfect, deserted place to set up without anyone knowing, most likely without cameras, and—

"Ma'am?" said the amusement park attendant who was now peering over at her with a curious expression on his face. "Are you all right?"

Rei shook her head, trying to wear of the fogginess.

"Ambulance," she said numbly.

"We're on it, ma'am."

"Go after them," said Kanda harshly against her ear.

She struggled to look at his perspiring face. "What?"

"After the attackers," he said. "You need to find them—who they are."

"Are-Are you serious?" she said, dumbfounded. "You're hurt—"

"I'll be damn fine," he said through gritted teeth, "the moment you find that bastard and pound his face in so hard that his own mother won't recognize him—"

"But—"

"_Go._"

Rei bit down her lip, unsure of Kanda's sanity. She was rather tempted to follow his…_order_, but at the same time, that was not very safe…

"Bookman and the others are already on their way," he said snappishly. "Just go, you idiot—you're going to let them get away!"

True to his observation, Lavi and the others had alighted their compartment and were in the process of rushing towards the two of them. The moment they arrived, Rei would've lost her chance—Kate would never let her go run into the arms of immediate danger.

"Stay put, all right? I'll be right back," she said breathlessly.

Rei got to her feet without another word and, with renewed energy now that she had a purpose, ran towards the crowd that was gathering around them. She forced her way through, ignoring the pulls and the yells of concern—somewhere among the pandemonium, she could hear Kate shouting, "Where the hell did you make her go?" and Allen's indignant "Are you an idiot?" Deciding not to worry about what kind of bereavement Kanda was suffering, Rei ducked through and headed to the sides of the amusement park roads, her speed now picking up with the decreased population. She focused her gaze on the adventure house she just _knew_ the sniper was stationed at—it was a tall, colorful Disney-like palace structure with many windows that were _also_ ideal for sniping…

Her eyes scanned her destination as her legs carried her there. She did not feel tired. Her head was clearer than it had been for what seemed like ages, elucidated by the adrenaline of being in a desperate and dangerous situation.

It looked like all that intense workout a few days prior was going to come in handy after all.

* * *

"Twins," said Tyki sharply into the hidden microphone in his ear, "I need directions."

He was currently in the middle of an amusement park, alone and dressed in clothes that he swore he wouldn't be caught dead in, with two idiotic twins as his tour guides—by microphone, of course. So far, the Portuguese model hadn't attracted any out-of-place stares—occasionally, a teenage girl would double-back to look at him, but he made sure to keep moving constantly with his head always lowered. The sun was glaring hot and the atmosphere uncomfortable, but Tyki knew better than to complain.

"Move right," said Jas's voice.

"Left, you dimwit," said Debi's degradingly.

"Uh, we have an aerial vision, with _that_ being north and _that_ being south, Debi. It's right."

"Left, you idiot."

"TWINS!" shouted Tyki into the microphone out of uncapped frustration, attracting some stares from passersby. He ignored them, walking briskly forward instead and tugging his cap lower so that it shaded his face. The last thing he needed was some obsessive fan girl recognizing him, especially when someone was out to kill Kanda, who was most likely very close with Tyki's girlfriend-on-temporary-hiatus at the moment.

There was some static rustling in his ear, and a smoother, much more controlled voice took over.

"It's left, Tyki," said Lulubell clearly. Somewhere in the background, Debitto said "Told you so" immaturely. Lulu continued with her directions, effectively ignoring the bickering twins. "Five yards straight, duck into that alleyway."

"Okay, I'm here," said Tyki, thankful for the brief respite of decreased noise. "Next?"

"Start running, Tyki, he's been there for ages now. Go straight—there will be a side door to some sort of cartoon-themed structure. He's on the highest level, at the end of a restricted hallway."

Tyki obeyed, breaking into a run and following Lulu's directions as fast as he could. The side door was locked but yielded easily to one brief kick—Tyki was up the stairs in a moment's flash, his legs carrying him at their highest capability.

"Which level?" he panted.

"…Sixth," said Lulu after a short pause. "He's on the opposite side—you've got a while—"

Tyki let out a string of curses as he counted off each floor he passed. Fourth, fifth…he arrived at the entrance to the sixth level slightly winded but not quite out of breath.

"Don't just rush in," warned Lulu. "Lean out the first window on your left—carefully, mind you. See if his gear is set up."

Tyki once again obeyed, sidling carefully to the window Lulu had indicated and peering out. He could see the unmistakable barrel of a sniper rifle poised perfectly in position. It moved, however, as if tracking a target, and Tyki instinctively looked down below at the crowd to see what the sniper—presumably Howard Link—was aiming at.

His heart stopped.

There she was, clear as day, running with all her might right towards the adventure house that he and the sniper were both in. Tyki did not take the time to marvel at her instinct; his golden eyes swiveled to the pale hand that was currently wrapping around the trigger of the gun.

Tyki did not think twice. He stuck his head as far as he could out of the almond-shaped window.

"REI!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

Rei heard him—somehow. She stopped right in her tracks, and something plunged into the ground a few feet in front of her, where she would've been a second later. Several people screamed at the sound and immediately fell to the ground, but Rei simply looked bewildered, and her head snapped up, scanning the floor he was on. He retracted back inside the hallway, hiding himself from view as he let out a breath of relief.

"_Tyki_!" said Lulu, stunned. "What the hell—are you insane? _You're supposed to be in Spain right now_!"

"I'll deal with it later," he said as he ran towards the sniper's direction. "Damn it, if Rei has the slightest bit of common sense, she'll go under shelter…"

"No offense to your girl or anything," said Jas dryly, "but that really doesn't sound like her."

"Thirty meters, Tyki," said Lulu cuttingly. "Get your weapon out…he'll be _right_ around the corner—"

Tyki skidded to a stop at the corner. It took a second to see Howard Link, a second to analyze where Link's hands were, a second to draw out his gun, and a second to shoot. The hastiness of it all caused his aim to be off—Tyki had been aiming at Link's hands but instead hit the rifle's end. It spun around, clanging against the window and falling off its balance; Link reacted immediately, whipping out a gun from his side and firing dexterously at Tyki, who flattened himself along the side of the wall to avoid the shots.

It would take Rei a maximum of fifteen minutes to get to where they were, most likely less. She would go to the top floor without a moment's hesitation—it was the most logical spot for a sniper to be, and all she would have to do was figure out which corner he'd been on. This fact left Tyki in an unpleasant situation—he had fifteen minutes or less to apprehend Howard Link and get out of there, because a shocked and furious Rei was more potentially dangerous than the entire yakuza combined.

Tyki let out a swear and began to fire his gun in Link's general direction, forcing the sniper to cease fire and be on the defensive. Tyki gained ground rapidly, soon finding his way right in front of Link, when he dexterously switched his gun to his left hand and punched Link's face with as much force as he could muster. Tyki could feel something inevitably crunch right under his fist, leaving him with a slightly satisfactory feeling as Link slumped to the ground, stupefied, with blood trickling down his chin.

"Good," said Lulu's voice. "Ask him why he's here. Your girlfriend, judging from the security cameras, is at the entrance of the amusement ride."

"Great," said Tyki under his breath as he knelt down and grabbed Link's collar. "This leaves us…ten minutes—why don't you tell me why you're here?"

Link looked rather dazed and did not reply.

"Is it Yuu Kanda?" said Tyki, his voice lowered. "Or…"

He was hit with a sudden inspiration—a sudden _realization_. Why, if Kanda had been the target, had Link continued to shoot at Rei as she approached? Link was not supposed to harm bystanders in order not to attract attention to his organization—that was elementary protocol. Link should've started packing up and leaving the instant he saw Rei running in his direction, with all determination and purpose that she usually emitted when seized with her bodyguard instinct. Why stay, shoot, risk missing and being discovered?

Shoot only at your target and your target's accomplices, but _only_ the latter if necessary. Shooting at Rei _wasn't_ necessary if she were just an accomplice, which meant…

"Are you after Rei Matsumomo?" said Tyki.

His internal musings must've given Howard Link the necessary amount of time to recover, for the expression on Link's face was no longer dreamlike. Snapping out of his stupor, Link crashed his knee into Tyki's side; it connected head-on, perhaps helped by the fact that Tyki had hardly gotten any sleep the night before, and an excruciating pain—more pain than he had felt in years—jolted up his torso like a stab of steel. Tyki reeled back, gritting his teeth as his hand impulsively reached for his injured side; he stood up as readily as he could, trying to regain his balance. Link was already steady on his feet—he aimed a kick at Tyki's stomach but missed as Tyki twisted his body to avoid it—the boot caught Tyki's hand and the gun went skidding across the tiled floor. Tyki lunged forward, his left fist connecting haphazardly with Link's throat as Tyki aimed for Link's gun that had fallen to the floor earlier.

He managed to grab it but not without giving Link an opening. The sniper caught Tyki in a chokehold, his grip vice-like and relentless. Tyki found himself fighting for breath while simultaneously struggling to cock the gun in his hand—Link pulled backwards, evidently attempting to snap Tyki's neck, but the Portuguese model was much taller and consequently the effects were mitigated barely—he could feel himself choking as his hat fell to the floor. His fingers fumbled with the cold metal in the palm of his hand, and just as he thought he was about to pass out, Tyki heard a wonderful sharp sound and knew that the gun was ready. Unable to think clearly, Tyki simply snapped the gun right behind him, digging the barrel into Link's chest and firing.

His eardrum seemed to explode from the sound but the effect was immediate; Link's grip loosened significantly and the man stumbled backwards. Tyki lost no time—he barely had any left—and without waiting another second, he cocked his gun, aimed deftly, and fired a second time. The bullet lodged instantaneously into Link's chest; the yakuza member crumpled to the ground, and Tyki knew by instinct that he was dead. Blood pooled quickly around the fallen corpse; Tyki could not repress a noise of disgust. The familiar repercussion of taking a life seized his insides with a coldness that was just a precursor to indifference later on; he took in a deep breath, trying to stabilize his heartbeat.

"You _killed_ him?" said Lulu's voice in his ear, having remained silent through the duration of the fight.

Tyki was still recovering his breath.

"Evidently," he said coolly. "What should I do?"

"…Get out of there," said Lulu sullenly.

"Leave the body?"

"The police are already at the park—it seems that Kanda and your little girlfriend caused quite a scene trying to avoid getting shot at—they jumped out of a Ferris wheel. We need to leave the body so there's someone to blame. Grab the hand guns but leave the sniper rifle—and take the duffel bag too, we might be able to find something from it."

"Right," said Tyki tiredly, massaging his throat. His waist still throbbed; hopefully nothing was broken.

"_Hurry_."

Tyki bit back an obstinate reply and gathered both guns from the ground, unloading them and stowing them in the large pockets of his hideous cargo pants. Half his hearing was still impaired, but he could hear the unmistakable sound of heavy footsteps swiftly ascending the nearest staircase.

He headed immediately out the way he came, down the hallway and through the opposite stairwell. He joined the crowd effortlessly, his head lowered and his hands shading his face. No one gave him a second look—everyone was too busy trying to see what the commotion was about, why the police were there…it then struck Tyki as slightly odd that he was shading his face with his hands, not with something else…

Only when he'd gotten safely out of the building and was nearly at his motorcycle did Tyki remember that he had forgotten his hat.

* * *

Rei burst into the hallway, clutching a stitch in her side as she gasped violently for air. Six consecutive floors did not sound terribly impressive, but damn were they difficult…

Her green eyes scanned the room. She had come to the right place—directly in front of her was an abandoned sniper rifle, and next to it was a fallen man whom she did not recognize.

Rei ran to his side, kneeling beside his body and bringing a hand up to his wrist, trying to feel for a pulse. She could find none. She then leaned her cheek close to the man's mouth and felt no breath, further bolstering her conclusion: the man was dead. She shuddered at the conclusion, standing up as quickly as she could and stepping back a few feet, frightened by the confrontation with a corpse.

But his body was still warm and his blood was still flowing; he could not have been killed but a few minutes ago. Was this man the sniper or simply an unlucky civilian? Rei prayed he was the former; a dead person was a dead person regardless, but his being innocent would've made her feel all the worse. She shuddered again and shook her head to clear her thoughts. She looked intently at his body—the man's hands were unsmooth and blistered, and merely judging from his profile, he was well-built and evidently fit. Chances were that he _was_ involved in some way…she glanced around for any further clues.

Her gaze landed on a discarded hat nearby, one that looked exceedingly familiar…

She rushed towards it, picking it up and turning it over in her hand. It was a frayed, gray baseball cap, the _exact_ same one that Tyki had worn the night before.

Her stomach dropped. She had thought for a moment that she had heard Tyki calling her name that instant before a bullet landed right in front of her…but he was supposed to be in _Spain_, not here, in an amusement park…

Was this really even his hat?

There was not much time to contemplate; footsteps were pounding up the stairs she had just entered through. There had to be an exit on the opposite side of the hallway, and she headed immediately in that direction.

She could not help but feel that her exit contained just the slightest bit of Tyki's lingering presence.

"How _could _you?"

"I—"

"_WHY_ would you is a better question!"

Rei tried again. "I—"

But nothing could stop Kate as she continued to voice her outrage—the German woman grabbed onto Rei's shoulders and shook her violently.

"Do you _know_ what kind of danger you were in?" she said furiously. "There was someone _shooting_ at you, and then you went to go _find_ him? _Are you insane_?"

Rei attempted to give a half-hearted explanation. "Kanda—"

"Oh, don't you even _mention_ his name!" said Kate almost manically. "To think that he could _encourage_ you and _make _you go and find the guy—I don't care how much of a bodyguard you think you are, Rei, but you are just an eighteen year old girl who is living the prime of her life right now! You cannot just go running into the arms of danger—do you know that you could have _DIED_?"

"C'mon, Kate," said Rei tiredly. "I can understand Kanda's point—if I had just sat there, the sniper would've never been found and he would've just gone after us again."

"That's what the _police_ are for, Rei!"

"Give her a break already," said Kanda sharply.

He was lying gingerly against the bed—he had managed to avoid hospitalization by being the usual inflexible person he normally was. The group of them—Rei, Kate, Lavi, Kanda, Allen, and Lenalee—were gathered in Rei and Kanda's hotel room. Kanda had surprisingly sustained few injuries—his back was severely bruised, which would hamper his movement for a few days or weeks, but nothing was broken and even his head seemed fine; the only side effect so far was that he was a bit more irascible than normal, if that was even remotely possible. He had taken some pain medicine, but he evidently had not felt its effects yet.

Kate shot him an icy look—she still hadn't gotten over his insult from the day before, and his irresponsible encouragement of Rei's even more haphazard behavior did not garner him much praise either. It was therefore with burning condescension that Kate spoke to him.

"Don't even _dare_ talking to me, cripple."

"Don't worry, I really wouldn't be if I had a choice."

"No one is _forcing_ you to talk to me—"

"Interference was necessary because you're positively _hounding_ Rei and she's too tired to answer, which means you'll just keep on screaming and make my headache even worse."

Kate let out an angry hiss at him but subsided the argument, much to Rei's relief. She was sitting in a chair next to Kanda's bed, her hands fiddling with the hat that might or might not be Tyki's, her eyes purposelessly watching the television. Her body felt heavy and her mind still inactive. It felt like all the energy had merely been sapped out the moment she'd returned to the group, exhausted with no conclusive discovery.

"You should probably sleep a bit, Rei," said Allen a bit anxiously. "You're really pale…"

"…I'm a bit tired," admitted Rei. "I wanted to see what the news would say though."

"We can tell you when you wake up," said Lenalee encouragingly. The Chinese girl still looked a bit disturbed by the sudden turn of events at what was supposed to be a lovely day. "Allen's right—both you and Kanda should get some sleep."

"Besides, it's not like you'll be able to understand the news anyway," added Lavi.

"Why else do you think you're here, Bookman, other than to translate?" deadpanned Rei.

"Yeah," said Kanda, "you're useless otherwise."

"Hey, what are you two doing, ganging up on me?"

"They're just upset, Lavi, it's fine," said Kate, crossing her arms as she plopped down in the same seat Rei was in. "Scoot over a bit, Rei—thanks. I swear, these chairs just get fatter and fatter—there's no point."

"Actually, nine states in the U.S. have an obesity rate of over thirty percent," said Lavi mildly.

"Why do you think it's necessary to remember these random facts? In fact, where do you get them anyway?" said Kate, somewhat appalled.

"…The news, dear," sighed Lavi. "The news."

"Speaking of the news," said Allen slowly, "I think that's our amusement park. Get ready to translate, Lavi."

Lavi's lighthearted attitude grew somber as the room grew silent, letting the female reporter's voice be the sole source of noise. Rei followed the pictures on screen with as much attention as she could muster; footage of her and Kanda's fall had not been released, thankfully enough, but just as she was about to relax, the image of the dead man she'd seen on the top floor of that adventure house surfaced. She unconsciously crumpled the rim of the hat in her hands, causing both Kate and Kanda to shoot glances at her, but none of them made an inquiry about it.

The news report stretched on for a few more minutes. No disturbing images were released—the dead man's image had simply been a biographical one—and the show switched to commercials.

Lavi let out a low whistle.

"Wow," he said. "Kanda, why are you so popular?"

"Because I'm beautiful," said Kanda.

They all stared at him a bit questionably, as hardly any sarcasm could be detected in his voice. The Japanese male gave an irritated sigh.

"I was _joking_."

"Stop," said Rei in a deadly voice. "Last time you joked, we fell off a Ferris wheel and nearly died, in case you don't remember."

"No, no, no, jokes are _good_," said Allen gleefully. "Tell another one, Kanda, maybe you'll keep on embarrassing yourself if you do."

"His jokes really aren't all that uncommon, you know," said Lenalee placidly. "He just…very sarcastic when he's tired. And sometimes his sarcasm doesn't make much sense when he's that tired."

"…How tired?" questioned Allen eagerly.

"Oh, stop it Allen," said Rei. "Bookman, what's the news?"

"The weird Eurasian guy you saw—his name is 'Howard Link.' Apparently, he's some guy from the yakuza in Japan that the police recognized because he was nearly caught a couple years back assassinating some political figure here. He was found dead in the sixth floor of a fun house a good distance away from the Ferris wheel; no one knows who killed him, but it's been confirmed that he was the sniper; his prints were all over the sniper rifle used to shoot at you both. They didn't say anything about you two—the police didn't release your names, so that's good. Nevertheless, we can assume that the yakuza are actively pursuing you here, eh, Kanda?"

"It's hard to be this irresistible," deadpanned Kanda.

"Stop," said Rei through gritted teeth. "Just. Stop."

"He's just really tired, and a bit drugged up, I suppose," said Lenalee with a smile. "We should leave you guys now—Matsumomo-san—"

"Rei is fine," said the Japanese female absentmindedly. "Kanda's the only one who calls me by my surname when he forgets otherwise."

"Oh, well, then, Rei, do you think you'll be okay taking care of Kanda? He might need some help, you know, functioning."

"Seeing as I'm helping him _live_, I think helping him _function_ is somewhat of a downgrade," said Rei with the barest traces of a smirk. "We'll be fine."

Lavi grinned. "Oh, even if he needs help taking off his shirt to shower?"

"She won't mind," said Kanda wearily. "I'm irresist—"

"_Go to sleep_, or I'll put a bullet through your head next."

"But I am—"

"Now is a good time to leave, guys," said Rei.

"Mm," said Kate thoughtfully, "Rei, I'm thinking—Victoria's Secret wants me to go to England starting tomorrow. I think it'll be better and safer for you to come with me, you know?"

"Eh…"

"And I guess Kanda better come as well," sighed Kate. "It's really not safe here…but England has good security, I think, and if we leave immediately, I don't think anything dangerous will happen."

"What about me?" said Lavi pointedly.

Kate paused. "…I…suppose you can come."

Lavi arched an eyebrow. "You're _that_ against me coming?"

"I mean, it's not like I don't _want_ you to come," said Kate exasperatedly. "My parents aren't terribly delightful, all right? I don't want you to get, like, scared away or something."

"I won't be. Besides, you haven't met my gramps if you think I'll be scared away by unpleasant relatives," said Lavi darkly.

"All right, fine," said Kate. "Oh…er," she turned to Allen and Lenalee awkwardly, "would you two like to come as well?"

"…I'm actually all right, honestly," grinned Allen. "Cross might murder me if we all abandon him."

"I'll stay to keep Allen company," said Lenalee genially. "Apparently, I have to be around in order to fend off Mikk-san's sister—Road, or something."

"She sorta just…latched on to me," said Allen feverishly. "Kinda like a leech…it was really awkward…"

"So yeah, I'll stay here as well," smiled Lenalee. "How long will you all be gone?"

"Indeterminate amount of time," said Kate airily. "It shouldn't be terribly long though…Rei, you up for it?"

Rei was absentmindedly looking out the window, her thoughts focused on Tyki instead, wondering where he was and what he was doing, whether he was really in Spain or actually still in Portugal…

"Hello?" said Kate, tapping her lightly on the shoulder. "Rei?"

"Mm?"

"England? You, me, Lavi, Kanda?"

"…Do you think it's a good idea?" said Rei.

"Yeah. For modeling and for safety."

"…Only if Kanda doesn't make any more jokes. If he does, our plane will crash tomorrow."

"Mm hm…" said Kanda mid-yawn, "it's because I'm irresistible—"

"Shut up, please."

"Well," said Kate, standing up, "I'll go ahead and tell Cross about it. Lord knows he's going to be pissed, but hey, what can he do? He's just wasting time anyway."

"What time tomorrow?" said Rei.

"Noon. We'll be here to pick you and Kanda up—no one will know, so we shouldn't have any problems in terms of crazy people trying to attack us…"

"Yeah," agreed Lavi as he stood up and stretched. "See ya two later then—I'm pretty beat, so I'm just going to go back and hit the sack…"

The four of them headed for the door, waving while telling both Rei and Kanda to rest easy and not stress, since bodyguards surrounded the hotel and hallways. Rei waved goodbye halfheartedly, her lack of sleep catching up to her.

Once the door shut securely behind Allen, who was the last one to leave, Rei headed over to her bed and sat down tiredly on it. Kanda's blue eyes were already fluttering shut.

"Kanda?" she said. "Do you need to take your medicine?"

"…I'll take it when I wake up…" he mumbled, his tone indicating that he was already very close to sleep.

"All right then…"

She rolled over on her mattress, her back facing Kanda as she fumbled in her jeans pocket for her phone. If Tyki was in Spain, his flight should've landed by now, and she wanted to call to confirm where he really was. Perhaps she would ask for some solid evidence—a picture of him in Madrid's airport or something…

Rei dialed Tyki's number and brought the phone to her ear, listening restlessly in hopes that he would pick up. The rings continued endlessly, but finally, Tyki's voice appeared on the other end of the line. Rei straightened up a bit, relieved, but her hopes were instantly dissipated when the recorded message of his voicemail began playing by her ear. Her lost hopefulness ushered in instead a feeling of dread and distrust, for instinct had long convinced her that Tyki had been lying about going to Spain, and that he was definitely in Portugal, somewhere, somehow, and for some reason that he obviously couldn't tell her about.

Rei sighed and rolled over so that her green eyes were focused on the ceiling. Despite her tumultuous state of mind, sleep claimed her quickly but not without disturbance. She could not help but feel betrayed, and her slumber was disrupted at random intervals in which she called Tyki each time.

* * *

"Tyki, that's your phone," said Jas.

"I know," he answered impatiently as a masseuse massaged his bruised neck. Tyki looked at the screen of his phone and winced. "It's Rei."

"Don't pick it up," said Lulu sharply.

"Why?"

"Assume she recognized your voice. Assume that she found your hat at the scene, because you were an idiot and forgot it. What do you think _she's_ assumed right now?"

"…That I'm not…really in Spain," said Tyki slowly.

"She's calling you to confirm that you're really there," said Lulubell calmly, her golden irises focused on her nails as she filed them. "She'll definitely ask you to send her some evidence of your arrival—you know, a picture on a Spanish street, with a Spanish flag…"

"How do you know that?" said Tyki bewildered.

"Because it's exactly what I would do if I were in her situation," she answered matter-of-factly, blowing her nails. "She doesn't trust you. She's right not to."

Tyki looked doubtfully down at his phone, feeling guilty as it continued to ring.

"I…generally always pick up when she calls," said Tyki, groaning a bit as the masseuse began to knead on a knot in his shoulder. "Damn, that feels good."

"Ignore her," said Lulu. "Tell her you left your phone in your room, and that you just bought another cell phone in Spain but couldn't remember her number so you couldn't call her."

"…You really think she'll believe that?" said Tyki dubiously.

Lulu shrugged. "No, I don't, because if I were her, I'd think that was a bloody obvious lie, but there's not much else you can do. The Earl's orders come first."

"I completed them," said Tyki coolly. "I killed the guy. I found out what he was after."

"You're not positive," replied Lulu in the same tone.

"Lulubell. His bag was full of Rei's information."

"And Kanda's," chimed in Jas.

"And Eiji's," added Debitto.

"No, he's after her," snapped Tyki. "He's been after her from the beginning—ever since they noticed her at that first Gucci party in Tokyo, when she protected Kanda. Think about it—_every_ time Kanda's been attacked, Rei's been there too. Don't you think that's a little off?"

"We'll see," said Lulu cryptically. "Eiji's trying to see what he can find—he'll be here shortly."

"I'm done, actually," said an older voice from the doorway.

Eiji Matsumomo walked in, his expression serious as he tossed a stack of papers on the table. Lulubell beckoned to him, offering him the seat next to her, which he took obligingly.

"Cyril not with you?" said Lulu.

Eiji shook his head. "He had some political affairs to attend—we'll just recap everything to him later."

"So what are the results?" said Tyki.

Eiji heaved a sigh. "It's Rei."

"Told you," said Tyki, standing up and signaling for the masseuse to leave. "Now what? We just wait for the yakuza to just come after her?"

"No, of course not," said Eiji. "I've long made preparations for this."

Tyki stared. "You…anticipated that they'd be after her?"

"Naturally," said Eiji offhandedly. "I played a bit role in the yakuza ten years ago—my wife and I were the mediators with the Noah family. With the switch in power, my abandoning my post was a telltale sign that my family was going to be targeted."

The unemotional way that Eiji said everything only fueled Tyki's incredulity.

"She's your _daughter_," he said disbelievingly. "You don't care that an entire nation's underground illegal force is out to kill her?"

"Why do you think I taught her everything?" said Eiji. "Her skills are really second to none, Tyki Mikk. She'll be quite fine."

"_Fine_? She can't do anything if there are snipers shooting at her—if it hadn't been for me today, she'd be dead! She's not a superhuman—she's your daughter!"

"Yes, she is," said Eiji. "I've prepared her quite well, actually. I ensured that after Eileen died."

Tyki's mind whirred. Eileen…Rei's mother. She had died…in a car crash.

Something clicked.

"The yakuza killed her?" he said, stunned.

Eiji merely inclined his head, his eyes suddenly glassy. "Yes."

Lulu placed her hand on Eiji's arm consolingly.

"It's fine, Eiji," she said softly. "The Noah family represents no better security."

Tyki looked back and forth between his stepsister and her fiancé. Something clicked again.

"You've been planning this," said Tyki, "for her entire life. She's never known—she still doesn't know…you were going to bring her here ever since the beginning."

"Yes," said Eiji firmly, recovering from his miniscule amount of weakness. "I brought her here to this family for safety. In return, her skills would ensure this family's safety as well."

"Which benefits you, Tyki," said Lulu dryly. "She can't run off. She's bound to the family."

"In debt," he said.

"Not quite…or rather, you didn't need to put it so crassly."

Tyki scoffed. "You trapped her before she even knew what was going on. The exact same thing you did to me."

"You really shouldn't say that, Tyki," said Lulu through narrowed eyes. "We're not hurting her—we're only helping. We're ensuring her survival."

"You—"

"This is not the most critical thing right now," interrupted Eiji. "I heard from little Road that Rei and a few of her friends are planning to go to England tomorrow. I am fine with it as long as the public doesn't know—which, according to Road, it doesn't."

"What are they going for?" questioned Debitto.

"Victoria's Secret modeling," said Eiji with a frown.

"Wait…Rei's modeling for Victoria's Secret?" said Tyki, his anger suddenly melting away at this mind-blowing news.

"I don't know," said Eiji. "I suppose."

Rei was modeling for _Victoria's Secret_? Prudish, conservative Rei was going to be shooting in lingerie with seductive expressions and lip bites and—_holy crap_, it was an amazing thought.

"That…is…wonderful," said Tyki, sinking back into his seat. "Holy…I never thought she'd…_finally_, Kate came in useful—she's influenced her to be less prudish—that's amazing. I—"

"Wait," said Eiji, his frown deepening, "why is it so wonderful? What's Victoria's Secret?"

Tyki glanced at Debitto and Jasdevi, silently asking whether or not he should tell the truth. Both twins shook their heads furiously, grinning all the while.

"It's just a really nice store," intercepted Jas. "Good designs."

"With, you know, heavy winter clothes and all," added Debitto with a mischievous smile. "Not an inch of skin revealed."

Lulu looked both exasperated and humored at their blatant lies, but she didn't disprove them, much to their delight.

Eiji shrugged. "Well, I don't particularly care. The more important thing is to get her out of the country for now, since it's very possible that Leverrier will send additional assassins."

"Easy," said Jas with a wave of his hand, "we'll just track them when they go through security again."

"He'll be more careful the second time, Jasdevi," said Eiji sternly. "We have to be on guard."

"…So I guess I can't go and call Rei back and say that I'm back from Spain, right?" said Tyki.

"Are you stupid?" It was, of course, Lulu who said the degrading statement.

"I guess not," he sighed. "We should monitor passage to England as well—I assume they're staying in London?"

"Yes," said Eiji. "We'll review incomers into London's and surrounding airports as well as Lisbon's."

"So can I at least contact Rei after…you know, a couple of days?" said Tyki somewhat hopefully.

"No," said Lulubell flatly. "Nothing to jeopardize the mission, Tyki—you never know, she might fly back unexpectedly and be blown up along the way."

"You sound so hopeful, Lulu."

"Of course I'm not," she deadpanned.

"Are we going to assume that Rei's the target then, instead of Kanda?" said Jas.

"Seeing as they'll probably be together most of the time, I wouldn't say so," said Lulubell apathetically. "Save him if you can, don't cry if you can't."

"Maybe we should just blow him up when he's alone," joked Debitto.

"Not too bad of an idea," said Eiji seriously, standing up from his seat. "It'd save us a lot of trouble. I'll be going to bed then—it's late. Lulu?"

The beautiful woman stood up and followed her fiancé's example.

"You think he was kidding?" said Jas when the door shut.

"Don't think so," said his twin. "He hates Kanda—dunno why." Debitto yawned. "Damn, it's late. Bedtime for me too then—it's been a long day. See ya later, Tyki. Catch some sleep, you still look damn ugly."

"Thanks," said Tyki wryly.

"Night," chorused the twins.

His cell phone rang again as the door closed behind the twins. Tyki looked down at the screen: it was Rei, once again. He sighed, biting his lip in discomfort, but pressed the side button to silence the phone. Perhaps she would leave a voicemail. It was stupidly sentimental, but he wanted to hear her voice if not just for an infinitesimal second, because it occurred to him quite belatedly but nevertheless seriously that she could've died very easily earlier that day.

Tyki sank into pessimism, trying to imagine what would've happened had he _not_ yelled her name, had she _not_ stopped, and his chest pained almost instantly. He winced, leaning his head against the chair and stretching his sore neck.

A world without Rei now seemed too hard to imagine.

* * *

Malcolm C. Leverrier was an interesting man.

He was from a rich family originating in England, had been spoilt as an infant to his adulthood, and also had an uncanny habit of having anyone who annoyed him killed. That was what he had done to all his enemies and even some of his friends, and that was what he had done to Kenji Natsuno when he had decided that the yakuza was a good organization to take over.

He was therefore not a man who was patient or kind. Cold blood flowed through his veins, glittering steel was reflected in his narrow eyes, and every line on his aged face only accentuated his constant sneer of derision.

Leverrier was therefore not used to having people he disliked survive for long. His long, _long_ pet peeve was Eiji Matsumomoi, a man who had escaped various assassination attempts for over ten years. In fact, Leverrier had gotten so tired of failed assassinations that he was beginning to drop the idea of ever killing Eiji himself, and instead going after his relatives.

Unfortunately, Eiji's daughter seemed to have inherited the same hardiness and stubbornness to survival that her father exhibited. Attempts at her life always failed—had failed multiple times, in fact. And because of _her_, Yuu Kanda's life had been extended as well.

Thus, the Matsumomo family was terribly annoying.

Leverrier sat in his dark office, his eyes watching the television as it played international news. He was furious. Beyond furious. Livid. Enraged. Incensed.

His best man—one of his best men, and his most highly trusted servant—was dead. Why? Because of Rei Matsumomo.

Leverrier let out an angry shout, knocking over several decorative glassware from his desk as he stood up to summon his other top assassins simply by roaring at the top of his lungs.

"Madarao! Tokusa!"

There was much shuffling of feet from outside the doorway. Mere seconds elapsed before the door burst open and the two men appeared.

"What is it, sir?" Madarao asked after a deep bow.

"Link is dead," he said with burning fury.

"Link?" said Tokusa, surprised. "Why…wasn't his target just a young girl?"

"The same young girl Gouji failed to kill when he was shooting at her through a glass window!" said Leverrier angrily. "And now, because of her, one of my best men is dead!"

"We will go after her immediately," said Madarao swiftly.

"I'm glad we're on the same page," said Leverrier, his anger subsiding a bit after having been understood quickly. "You and Tokusa will depart to Lisbon immediately—everything will be arranged. Your target's information will already be in your laptops—along with information of people she is close to whom you may kill if you have the chance."

"Understood," said Madarao.

"Sir, if I may ask," drawled Tokusa, "do we know who killed Link?"

"…That has yet to be discovered," said Leverrier, his fury resurfacing at this unexplainable dilemma. "I believe it was someone hired by the Noah family—they are warning us not to trespass their territory."

"He had to be incredibly skilled," remarked Tokusa. "Killing Link is no mean feat…"

"They had the element of surprise," said Leverrier coolly. "We will be much more cautious this time to avoid detection. I do not care about the Noah family's whims—if you see anyone hired by them, feel free to gun them down. Your main priority is the girl—kill her immediately."

"Understood," the two said simultaneously.

"Good. Leave."

The two men bowed out, letting the door close behind them, once again leaving Leverrier alone. He exhaled, clearing his thinking.

Both Madarao and Tokusa were on par with Link; with the two of them assigned to the same mission, failure was hardly an option.

The toothbrush-mustached man allowed himself one rare smile.

Rei Matsumomo would be dead within the next week.

* * *

**Free Talk**:

Whew! First chapter in all my writing career to break 10,000+ words. I was trying so hard to make my self-enforced deadline, and am glad I did! Why the lengthy chapter and deadline? Because today marks the one-year birthday of Diamonds in Wine!

I'd like to thank you for supporting this fic this year by reading and reviewing. I'm very grateful for this story's reception, and will always be humbled by the degree of response. Thank you so much.

As for the chapter itself, I must say that this is the first time I had such difficulty naming it. I generally create the title of each chapter after I write it, and this one gave me a lot of trouble for some reason...and I still don't like the title. Oh well.

RIP Howard Link. Lifespan: one chapter. Haha, I don't mind killing him off or totally screwing up his personality description. It was a bit funny for me, honestly. Same with Leverrier; he can spoiled and corrupt, because that's pretty much what I get from his canon personality anyway. I honestly won't try hard to keep him in character.

LJ post for this chapter will also contain a bit of...encouragement is probably the right word for other writers out there. Read if you're interested-the link's on my profile, and I think it just aims to empathize with readers who have faced some harsh criticism.

As always, leave a review on your way out, and thanks for bearing with me for a year.

xoxo,  
m.n


	39. Underlying Proposals

**Chapter 38: Underlying Proposals**

"Rei, come on, get your bags together – the cab's going to get here soon and Lavi's already at the airport and Kanda's crippled and – _for heaven's sake, would you stop checking your phone?_"

Rei sighed and slipped her phone into the pocket of her jeans. Kate was giving her a very annoyed look, one that bounced off of Rei ineffectively, for she was much too tired to deal with Kate's shenanigans at the moment.

Kate let out an aggravated breath and pulled Rei back by the shoulder.

"Rei," she said seriously. "What's going on? You're hardly ever this inattentive, and you know we're in a rush because we've got to get you and Kanda to the airport without anyone knowing as quickly as possible. Normally, you'd be a lot more cooperative than this. What's wrong?"

Rei shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm just tired, Kate. Nothing else."

Kate frowned. "If we weren't in such a rush, I'd badger you until you told me what's going on, but we have the plane ride for that. In the meantime, I'm going to get all these bags downstairs with the bellhop – could you wake Kanda up?"

"Yeah, yeah," said Rei absentmindedly as Kate left, leaving the hotel room empty of its inhabitants' belongings save for the people themselves.

Kanda was still sleeping despite the racket that Kate had made when she was packing for them. At some point the night before, Kanda had woken up because the morphine had worn off and his back was causing him no little pain; Rei had groggily handed him some indeterminate number of pills from the little white bottle that the doctor had given Kanda. When Kanda had finally fallen back asleep, Rei had just assumed that she had gotten the right drugs – now that she was awake and coherently thinking, in retrospect, it might've been a better idea to actually count out the prescribed amount of pills, especially when normally lightly-sleeping Kanda was evidently claimed by the slumber of the dead.

Rei bent over Kanda and shook him roughly by the shoulder.

"Kanda," she said loudly in his ear. There was no response. She shook him harder. "_Kanda_."

He opened his eyes blearily; it took him a few seconds to register where he was.

"Damn…" he said, rolling over in bed to face away from her.

"Get up," she said, pulling him by the shoulder. "We've got to get on the plane, and Kate will eat me alive if you're not up by the time she gets back."

"I'm not sitting on a plane…" said Kanda wearily. "My back hurts like hell…and my head feels like a ton of bricks…just _how_ many pills did I take last night…?"

Rei suppressed a small guilty grin and yanked Kanda somewhat forcefully up into sitting position. Kanda winced obviously, and a quiet groan of discomfort escaped his lips.

"Poor little Kanda can't stand the pain?" said Rei dryly, tossing at him the clothes that Kate had left behind for him to change into.

"Fuck you," he snapped before taking a cursory glance at the articles in his hands. He grimaced as his eyes landed on the dress shirt. "What the hell? _Pink_?"

"Don't ask me," said Rei, stepping away. "Kate chose the clothes. I just assumed they were yours and didn't question her, because, you know, her fashion taste is infinitely better than mine."

"These aren't even my clothes!"

"Not my problem," sighed Rei. "Come on, Kanda, stop being a picky brat and get dressed, would you? No one's going to care."

"These are definitely Bookman's clothes," he grumbled, examining the pastel pink dress shirt and the pants. "Why couldn't she have just given me a different color?"

"Kanda," said Rei irritably.

"Fine, fine, I'm going to take a shower," he returned in the same annoyed tone. "Go away."

"Will you need help?"

"Evidently not."

Rei shrugged. "Your loss, then. I'll be waiting outside."

She stepped out of the room, closing the door gently behind her. A few black-clad men stood in the hallways, their faces as impassive as the frozen statues at the entrance of the hotel, their purpose in guarding her and Kanda quite clear. She gave them a curt nod before settling against the wall, her hand unconsciously reaching into her pocket for her phone. It probably wasn't even worth the time to call anymore – Tyki evidently wasn't going to pick up. She was worried, and, at the same time, distrustful. She knew instinctively that Tyki wasn't in Spain – he wasn't doing anything that he'd told her he was doing.

Perhaps this was the reason for their break. He had other affairs to attend to. Dangerous affairs, potentially. Perhaps he was keeping her out of the line of fire. That was highly likely, as Tyki had always seemed a bit more reserved ever since coming to Portugal. There had to be something going on with the Noah that no one was telling her about.

At any other moment in time, Rei would've had slight misgivings about the possibility of Tyki having a separate fling or two, but the thought hardly crossed her mind now. There was something about his behavior the last time they'd seen each other that made Rei feel very secure in terms of their emotional relationship; it was merely the fact that he was still lying about _something_ that made her worry. Wonder. Anything he deemed necessary to hide was most likely nothing good at all.

Rei scrolled through her contacts, finally landing on Eiji's number. She sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly, contemplating. Was it worth it? She had not seen Eiji – had not _wanted_ to see Eiji – since the news that he was engaged to Lulubell. She had still not gotten over it – _would_ not get over it, for there was _no way in hell_ that Lulu would ever exert any sort of power over her.

Regardless…she needed to ask about Tyki.

Rei pressed the call button and brought the phone up to her ear. It rang only once before the line was answered, but instead of the gruff, deep voice of her father, a smooth, sultry, feminine voice appeared.

"Yes, Rei?"

Rei gritted her teeth and bit back a rude demand, hiding her simultaneous surprise and slight repulsion at the sound.

"Hello, Lulubell," she said as passively as she could manage. "Where's my dad?"

"Sleeping, at the moment," was the reply. "We stayed up quite late yesterday doing—"

"I don't need to know," Rei snapped.

Lulu chuckled. "Nothing naughty, you clueless girl. We were working. Is there a message you want me to relate to him later?"

"Nothing, since you ought to know better than he does – where's Tyki?"

There was a slight pause.

"He's in Spain, of course," answered Lulu easily. "I thought he told you?"

"…Is he _really_," said Rei skeptically.

"Of course."

"And did he happen to just leave his phone in his room while he went away for a clearly unplanned and indefinite trip out of the country?"

"Perhaps. We haven't really established any contact."

"I find that _exceedingly_ hard to believe."

"Believe what you want to believe, little Rei," said Lulu simply. "We are always inclined to our own subjective understanding – yours is clearly clouded by large bouts of doubt and insecurities."

"I don't need a philosophy lesson, Lulubell. Don't expect me to blindly and foolishly believe that Tyki's really in Spain doing only God knows what."

"I don't think anything I've said has changed your initial mentality."

"…If you happen to establish some sort of contact with him," said Rei slowly as she chose her words carefully, "tell him to call me if he can."

"Certainly," said Lulu with slick amiability. "Though honestly, I didn't expect you to be so attached. This is bordering clingy, isn't it?"

"Oh, I don't know," said Rei with acerbic sweetness. "Perhaps it would be if I didn't happen to get shot at yesterday. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you? Or, allow me to rephrase that, you wouldn't happen to be trying to get rid of me so you can have my dad _and_ Tyki to yourself, would you?"

"Petty undertones will get you nowhere, Rei."

"Undertones? Hardly. I'm completely fine with calling you a—"

"I don't have the time to waste going through pathetic arguments with you," said Lulu, her voice finally hinting at traces of anger. "If that's all—"

"Yes, it is," said Rei silkily. "Goodbye."

She hung up with vindictive satisfaction, but the fleeting comfort it gave disappeared as quickly as she came. She remained staring at the wall opposite to her, kept in the company of stony bodyguards, left only with mounting discomfort and helpless musings.

* * *

"Twins, for the _last_ time," seethed Lulubell, "_settle down and get started on your work._"

"But we are—"

"You're being loud."

"But we aren't—"

"Just shut up, you two," said Tyki dryly. "She's clearly in a bad mood – there's nothing you can do about it."

"But we didn't do anything."

"There are some things about women you just have to accept," said Tyki rather solemnly. "When they're bipolar, they're PMS-ing, which means you should probably just stay away—"

"Tyki, if you don't shut up, I'll kill you next," said Lulubell coldly.

Unfazed, Tyki simply stared across the table at her, somewhat humored by abnormal loss of composure.

They were going through files of the Japanese yakuza, in hopes of pinpointing who would be the next assassins sent their way. Tyki had a helpless attention span when it came to sifting for information, however, and he found goading Lulubell much more entertaining.

"I'm curious as to what happened that would make you so shaken," he remarked, absentmindedly returning his gaze to the papers in his hands.

"None of your business," was Lulu's curt reply.

"Things not going well with Eiji?"

"We're fine."

"Then I can't think of anything else that could rile you up so much, unless it's got to do with Rei."

Lulubell's lips thinned into a fine line. Tyki grinned.

"What happened with Rei, Lulu?"

"She called," she replied tersely.

"Your phone?" said Tyki, surprised.

"Of course not. Eiji's, except he was sleeping."

"Ah. So, naturally, you picked up." Tyki paused for a second. "And? What did she want?"

Lulu's eyes narrowed but she answered nonetheless.

"Your whereabouts. I told her you were in Spain – she clearly didn't believe me."

"I didn't think so," said Tyki with a grimace.

"…Do you really think your relationship can last, Tyki?" said Lulu seriously.

"Does it matter to you?"

"I'm asking this out of genuine concern, Tyki," she responded. "I'm not kidding. She's not your type. She never will be. She's young, innocent, and she'll never be able to understand the world you've lived in, the things you've done. How is it going to work out?"

"…Frankly, I don't know, Lulubell," said Tyki sincerely. "It might not. But at the same time, it might, and I'll just bank on that. In the meantime though, shall we turn our attention back to these profiles? I can only deal with my relationship with Rei as long as she stays alive."

Lulu seemed like she wanted to say something else, but as Tyki returned his gaze back to the stack of papers in his hand, she fell silent. And like always, any disturbance from Lulu that fell through made Tyki extremely glad, for he had much too much on his hands to deal with anything else at the moment.

* * *

"What do you mean, this is _your_ shirt?"

"I meant what I said, Kanda. Lavi's shirts were already packed and stowed—"

"And I certainly wouldn't have a pink shirt," chuckled Lavi. "Clashes with my hair, clearly."

Kate rolled her eyes. "And you certainly can't fit into Rei's, so I thought that since we were approximately the same height and I always have shirts that are a few sizes up, you could wear one of mine."

Kanda's expression was unreadable. "So this is a woman's shirt."

Kate smiled as she offered another viewpoint. "…Or you could pretend that it is seemingly androgynous."

"_Schrodlich, you—_"

"It's very fashionable, Kanda," deadpanned Rei. "Shut up, please. You've been complaining nonstop the entire way here – I thought you would have less energy after falling out of a Ferris Wheel."

"It doesn't take much energy to complain," said Lavi sagaciously. "Or brainpower, at that."

"Go to sleep," said Rei sharply as Kanda opened his mouth to retort. "You'll be much more bearable once you've slept a bit."

"No point now," said Kate as she peered out the car window. "We're nearing my house – other than Kanda's less than glorious moments, that wasn't a bad plane or car ride at all."

Rei looked out the window as well; London was slightly drizzly and gray, but it didn't hamper any of the activities going on in the streets. Buses continued to drive slowly through the tiny roads as people hustled to the sides, glaring at any automobiles that happened to splash them with the murky waters. Rei glanced briefly down at her phone – unsurprisingly, there were no missed calls or texts from the plane ride. Calling Tyki again just seemed pathetic at this point.

"Are we staying with your parents?" said Kanda.

"We live in an apartment, so there's not enough room for you and Rei given that I have a sister as well."

"You do?" said Lavi.

"Yeah, she's sixteen."

"What's she like?" said Lavi casually.

"She's…smart," said Kate halfheartedly. "She's actually already studying at Oxford."

"…Holy crap," was the unanimous reply.

"And my mother's a political journalist, and my father is a stockbroker. Needless to say, I'm considered the black sheep of the family, seeing as I didn't choose to pursue any sort of academic field, which is why meeting with them is always awkward to some degree. They're really not terrible people though, just stiff."

"You're telling this to a high school drop-out," said Rei dryly.

"Ah…you might…want to keep that down," said Kate weakly. "And Kanda…what about _you_?"

Kanda lifted an eyebrow. "I _own_ Tiedoll Corp."

"Your foster old man does," corrected Lavi.

"Doesn't matter. I think my social standing is quite fine."

"Odd one out again," said Rei with mock cheeriness. "I'm actually kinda used to this now."

"Just don't talk about it," said Kanda. "And so if your family is going to be busy, where does that leave us?"

"Oh, we own an apartment next door," said Kate brightly. "You guys can take that one. _And _you don't even have to stay in the same room."

"Joy," said Rei joylessly.

Kanda didn't say anything, though he seemed to be personally relieved as well as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

The entire atmosphere was uncomfortable. It was hard for Rei not to notice the correlation between parents and uncomfortable situations.

* * *

"So, Kathryn, how have you been doing?" said Jenna Schrödlich. A comely thin woman with lustrous brown hair and horn-rimmed glasses, she looked every bit of a journalist with her natural scholarly yet refined appearance.

"Yes, Kathryn," said Georg Schrödlich. Like his wife, he was thin, tall, imposing, intellectual. Patches of white dotted his black hair, though the stubble across his chin was clearly dark. "Do tell us how everything's been."

They were situated around a long dining table in the Schrödlich household, an elegant apartment in what one could consider London's Upper East Side. The dinner they were eating was self-made and self-served – Jenna seemed to be quite the capable woman, and her culinary skills were far from imperfect. Rei ate delicately, trying to erase her presence as effectively as she could, for she was not in the mood to engage in chatter that would only lead to even more awkward situations.

"Fine," said Kate brightly as she picked up her fork and knife with impeccable manners. "Lovely. actually. I've been working with Cross Marian and was given a brief reprieve in order to come here and work for Victoria's Secret – they're having their showcase very soon and want me to be a part of it."

"Charming," said the last Schrödlich, Anja, from her seat across Kate. While Kate had inherited her mother's soft genes, Anja had clearly inherited her father's. Pretty though she was, her features were the exact opposite of her sister's gentle ones; Anja had eyes that were sharp, piercing, and jet black hair that fell rigidly to her shoulders. Dressed professionally in an oxford (how ironic) and dress slacks, Anja looked hardly charmed by the news of her sister working yet again.

"Do you think so, Anja," said Kate with a bit of a more hardened smile.

"Victoria's Secret. Lingerie, isn't it?"

"Nightwear, if you'd like to keep your delicate little ears sheltered."

"Introduce us to your friends again, Kathryn," interjected Jenna as if to purposely avoid an argument. "I'm sorry, I only remembered Lavi's, since you're dating and I actually recognize Lavi from before."

"You do?" said Kate, surprised.

"Yes, actually," said Jenna thoughtfully. "I don't know if you remember, Lavi, but I actually interviewed your grandfather a few years ago on—"

"His opinions of Parliament's recent political activities and what he projected would happen to British-American relations," finished Lavi suavely. "Certainly, I remember. London Times, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was!" said Jenna, enthused. "Do you see your grandfather regularly? Fascinating man, he is."

"Somewhat…" said Lavi offhandedly. "He would rather me have entered Oxford or Cambridge instead of…what was the term he used…gallivanting around as a model."

"Perfectly understandable," said Anja.

"I dunno, entering college when I was fourteen just seemed like a bad idea," replied Lavi wryly.

Anja's fork dropped with a clack.

"Fourteen?" she said, stunned.

"Yeah," shrugged Lavi. "I thought upperclassmen would pick on me or something, so I went to model instead."

Anja turned to Kate instead.

"What _genius_ of a boyfriend did you bring home?" she said. "Usually they're dumb as rocks and can't string two sentences together without some degree of correlation!"

"Is that so?" said Lavi, interested. "How else were they like?"

"Oh, horrible," shuddered Georg. "Absolutely unintelligent, hardly knew how to keep a conversation going about the stock market or other political current events."

Rei let out a soft little laugh from her seat, inaudible to everyone except for those adjacent to her: Kate and Kanda. Kate frowned disapprovingly at her, warning her not to encourage anything else, while Kanda gave a little smirk himself.

Considering that Kanda's facial expression hardly changed, the fact that he smirked caused a good bit of attention to turn to him. The Schrödlichs seemed to have been fascinated with him since the beginning of the meal, especially given that he was wearing a pink and rather effeminate dress shirt, but had out of sheer courtesy averted their curiosity elsewhere. It did not help, additionally, that it seemed as if they had never come across such a beautiful Oriental male. Anja, especially, seemed too have a difficult time keeping her eyes off of Kanda.

"I'm sorry," said Jenna politely, "but your name is…?"

"Kanda," he replied smoothly.

"Ah. Would that be your surname or first?"

"Surname," responded Anja immediately, as if on reflex. "His first name is Yuu."

There was a short pause.

"…How did _you_ know?" said Kate, evidently stunned. "You know a _model_?"

Anja flushed, as if she'd been caught off guard in some embarrassment. "I…I was researching on an East Asian studies project. I just…found him on accident."

"So you're a model as well then," said Georg to Kanda. "Do you do anything otherwise?"

Kanda shrugged apathetically. "I'm interested in running a company. I'm looking into it at the moment, but it's a project for the future."

The idea of Kanda running a company was a laughable one, and Rei's lips turned upward as she focused on her coffee cup diligently.

"You're going to take over your father's company?" said Anja interestedly. "Or will you branch off from it?"

"Branch off, probably," said Kanda silkily. "But, like I said, it's a project only in imagination."

"What company does your father run?" inquired Georg.

"Tiedoll Corp."

It was clear that Kate's family was growing increasingly impressed with the company that Kate had brought home. Their eyes only widened more upon hearing the name of Kanda's inheritance, an obvious indicator of wealth and success.

"Impressive," voiced Jenna. "Very…impressive."

This only made Rei feel all the more out of place, but she was at a point when the opinions of others was starting to not matter. It was this world, especially, where rank and money accounted for any sort of respect, that she was absolutely beginning to get disgusted with. She was, however, beginning to realize how very little of a future she had outside of Tyki, modeling, and the rest of the crew. Bodyguarding for the Noah? It was hardly reputable, and the idea of serving Lulubell repulsed her.

Which left her at nothing.

"Well, you're the last one then," said Jenna, turning her attention to Rei. "You would be?"

Rei smiled barely.

"I'm Rei. And I'm painfully normal."

* * *

"You _hardly_ seem normal," said Anja as Rei brought the dishes to her. The two of them had lost in rock, paper, scissors with the rest of the group and thus had been left to clean up as the others migrated to the living room and continued their biographical interrogation.

Rei blinked, surprised that Anja had even bothered to address her.

"Sorry?" said Rei. "You were talking to me?"

Anja gave a little smirk. "Who else is in the kitchen? Of course I was talking to you."

"Ah. Well, thank you, I suppose."

"Sure, you're not gloriously beautiful like Kate or the rest of her friends, but you're a bodyguard, aren't you?" said Anja as she sponged a plate slowly. "I read it…er, online."

"You could say that," said Rei. "I was for a time, at least."

"For Kanda, right?"

"Mm," said Rei awkwardly, taking a dish from the sizable stack that laid on the counter and drying it. "Just for a while."

Anja leaned close.

"So?" she said curiously. "Are the two of you dating?"

"…Are you reading the news?" said Rei. "Doesn't it say that I'm dating Tyki?"

"Oh," said Anja, leaning away. "I must've missed that. I don't really pay attention to celebrity life outside of Kanda – too much news of my sister aggravates me. Regardless, I thought you and Kanda were together…shame."

"Shame?" repeated Rei. "I thought you fancied him."

"Who, Kanda?" said Anja. "Oh, no, I find him fascinating, surely, but not as a potential love interest. I like to give Kate that impression, just because it bugs her, but no, I'm already involved with someone at school."

"Oh," said Rei, understanding. "Well, sorry to disappoint, I suppose."

"It's nothing important," said Anja. "I'm…not that interested, anyway. It was mostly to annoy Kate."

"Mm-hm," said Rei disbelievingly. "So why does it seem that everything you do has the intention of annoying your sister?"

Anja scowled. "How would you feel if your sister was an international supermodel who is every man's dream and every girl's envy?"

"You seem to forget that I'm with these people everyday," laughed Rei. "I feel _exactly_ the same way – it also doesn't help that I am dating one of them and yet look nothing like them."

"Really?" said Anja. "I think you're getting there."

"Hardly," scoffed Rei. "Besides, you're not much comfort – Schrödlichs are Schrödlichs, after all…"

"At least you have a good body."

"You're a stick."

Anja laughed, scrubbing away at a dish easily. "I think I'm going to like you. You're really quite a character – very dry, I can appreciate that."

"Marvelous."

"No, really," smiled Anja. "You only believe you're normal because everyone else is so extraordinary. But don't you think if everyone is extraordinary, and you're the odd one out, then you're precisely _not_ normal?"

Rei returned the smile. The logic made a twisted amount of sense, but all the same…at least, given a few years, Anja would have an Oxford degree. Rei, on the other hand, would still be stuck at square one.

* * *

"When do you start for Victoria's Secret?" asked Kanda after the two of them bid goodbye to Lavi and Kate.

They entered the living room of the apartment that they would be staying in. Rei collapsed onto the leather sofa, sprawling out over the entire expanse of it as she curled against the cushions. Kanda sat down on a loveseat across from her, his long legs extended out in front of him as he stretched. The apartment stood on the third floor of the complex; flowers adorned the windows scattered across the walls, complementing the overall floral scheme of the apartment.

"Tomorrow, I believe," said Rei. "What are you going to be doing?"

"I dunno," he replied. "I think the younger sister is going to be showing Bookman and me around Oxford."

"Lovely," yawned Rei. "I think she's fond of you."

"Who?"

"Anja, of course. Very fond of you, at that. Are you flattered?"

"Rei, both of us know that this is precisely what you don't want to talk about right now," said Kanda.

"What makes you think I want to talk at all?"

"You want me to bring it up? Fine. Both of us know that Mikk's not in Spain, and I'm willing to bet half of Tiedoll Corp. that he was in the amusement park yesterday."

Rei sat up, her superficial mood dissipating as she stared coldly at Kanda.

"Fine," she said. "Let's hear your theory first."

"I'd rather hear yours before stating mine, since mine is a bit over the top. It's good to hear that you've been theorizing though – it makes me seem infinitely less paranoid."

"Kanda, I…" Rei blew out a frustrated breath. "You're right. I don't believe Tyki's in Spain. I believe he's working for his family, for the Mafia or whatever the hell he's supposed to be working for now. He _was _in the amusement park yesterday, I'm sure of it. He…he left his hat."

Kanda looked at her curiously.

"You found his hat? Where?"

"Where I found the sniper," she said quietly. "I found a body and Tyki's hat…I recognized it because he was wearing it when we went out the night before."

"Well," said Kanda, "this raises the likelihood of my hypothesis being true considerably."

"And what would your hypothesis be, Kanda?"

"I think Mikk's out to kill me."

Rei stared at him, a silence ensuing as she attempted to determine whether or not Kanda was joking as an effect of his pills or lethargy. His serious expression indicated otherwise.

"He's _not_," she said with burning finality.

"It makes sense," said Kanda.

"No, it doesn't," she snapped. "He doesn't like you, but it's not enough to kill you – you're just angry enough at him to jump to conclusions—"

"It makes sense," repeated Kanda. "Why else would he be there? What if Link and Mikk were working together, and Link was killed because they needed a fall guy?"

"He wouldn't," said Rei sharply. "You're not thinking logically – there was only one gun, and they wouldn't have needed a fall guy if they had both just run."

"But—"

"I heard Tyki yell my name!" she said angrily. "It made me stop when I was running – just when a bullet hit right in front of me! It saved me, and I know, I am absolutely certain that Tyki would not hurt me—"

"_You_," Kanda emphasized. "Would not hurt _you_. But what if Link didn't like that, and that led to a fight? Point is, Matsumomo, that he wouldn't hurt _you_, but it doesn't change the fact that he _would_ hurt me."

"We were in the same Ferris wheel compartment! Tyki wouldn't risk it—"

"He would! Why isn't he replying any of your phone calls, texts, voicemails then? He's feeling guilty, and because he's supposed to be in Spain, he can't call you and explain—"

"You are being…absurd. Ridiculous," said Rei incredulously. "Tyki isn't out to kill you, Kanda. It's the last thing on his mind."

"But the first thing on his family's."

"Kanda—"

"I told you it was over the top, Rei," he said in a steely tone. "It doesn't change the way I think, though."

"He was helping us," she said coolly. "That's all there was to it – he can't call back because he's busy."

"You yourself don't believe that."

"Kanda, you…"

"I can't convince you," he said simply. "I knew from the start that I couldn't. I told you so you could keep it in mind, though. You need to realize that no one's ever as good as they seem."

"He's changed."

"So has your dad."

Rei leapt up and grabbed Kanda by the collar, furious. He only looked at her lazily in return.

"Don't act like you understand everything, Kanda, just because every country in this world is out to kill you. My dad and my relationship is something you can't step into. Tyki and my relationship…is the same."

She let go of him quickly and stood up, turning away from him in indication that the conversation was over, but Kanda caught her wrist gently and forced her to turn back.

"What is it?" she said icily.

"I just thought I'd let you know," he said, unfazed with her attitude, "that you're the least normal person I know."

It was in times like these that Kanda did have a head, a sense of sensitivity, of common sense. Rei felt the appreciation seep in her system like a remedy to her blackened mood.

"…Thanks."

* * *

"Look over here," said the photographer patiently. "If you're nervous, just breathe in and out deeply – there's nothing to be nervous here for."

Of course she wasn't nervous – Rei was only surrounded by three world renowned supermodels. It also did not help that she was having self-esteem issues at the moment, and that despite all the work she'd done with Cross and Tyki, she still had problems in front of the camera.

At least she wasn't just dressed in lingerie. That would've been extremely uncomfortable. No, lucky for her, what the director of the shoot had wanted wasn't another Victoria's Secret model like Kate, but a PINK model who was at least allowed to remain clothed for the most part.

"Maybe you're not in the mood," sighed the photographer after a few minutes. "Do you need a break?"

"Yeah," mumbled Rei hastily. "That would be great."

She could feel her ears growing red from the inability to work effectively and successfully. She did not bother glancing backward to see if Kate was doing well – of course she was, she was in her element.

Rei escaped out to the hallway and sighed, her hand unconsciously clutching her cell phone tightly. This wasn't like her. Never had she felt so insecure in her life. Why? Was it because the conversation at dinner last night had only accentuated the stark contrast between her and everyone else's points in life? Was it because that she was not guarding anyone any longer? Was it because, without Tyki with her, she was in essence extremely useless in front of a camera? Or was it because Tyki just wasn't there in general?

She felt unbearably pathetic. Where was that self-confidence she had always prided herself in? Was it _only_ in martial arts that she felt comfortable? She had thought she was versatile, but martial arts was hardly needed in life other than in the bodyguard profession, which she was now leaning away from. Without it, though, what was she good for?

She looked down at her phone uncertainly. Did she need to call someone? Did she need to talk? Need some encouraging words, some uplifting?

Rei scoffed unconsciously. Pathetic. She was turning absolutely pathetic.

Her phone rang abruptly. Unnecessary hopes that it was Tyki rose as she looked at the screen, but no, it was Kanda.

She picked up. "Hello?"

"…Hm. Surprising," came the suave reply. "Aren't you supposed to be working?"

"I…" she said falteringly, having forgotten this key aspect of her day.

"You're having issues," he deadpanned. "Without Mikk whispering instructions to you, you're effectively useless in front of a camera."

Rei winced and hastily changed the subject. "What do you want, Kanda?"

"…Did you like your birthday present?"

"Huh? Yes, I did. Why?"

"…Clear or opaque?"

"…What?"

"Just answer."

"…Clear. Why?" she said suspiciously.

"Nothing," replied Kanda coolly. "Why don't we tackle your bigger issue – your uselessness."

"Kanda, you are the last person I'd turn to if I needed a pep talk—"

"Being in front of a camera is no different than being in front of a faceless person," he intoned. "You've done this a million times – just because Mikk isn't there doesn't make a difference. This shouldn't be difficult for you."

"…You're being nice?" said Rei disbelievingly.

"…Do you want me to be normal instead, and call you an idiot for being unable to project any bit of confidence you have? And that, really, you are useless without people giving you pep talks?"

"That's slightly better," said Rei wryly. "Is that it?"

She heard Kanda exhale.

"Being _beautiful_," he said slowly and somewhat reluctantly, "is only a matter of your own interpretation. The longer you sit there, mulling over the fact that you're _normal_ and _unneeded_, the more pathetic self-pity you're giving yourself. The last thing people are going to do is give you pity. Frankly, I'm looking down on you right now."

"When don't you ever," she muttered.

"…You're going to get fired."

"I get it," she sighed. "I get it, I'm not myself. I need to stop thinking about…normality."

"…I'm going now," said Kanda, seemingly satisfied. "Bookman's raising a ruckus here."

"Where _are_ you?"

"…Oxford."

"You're lying," said Rei with ever growing suspicion. "It's four o'clock now – you can't _still_ be touring. And what about clear and opaque?"

Kanda hung up, leaving Rei alone with the disconnected tones in the hallway. Rei frowned. Kanda was still as rude as ever.

Albeit slightly nicer in his strange, roundabout way. She appreciated the degrading pep talk nevertheless. Kanda was surprisingly easy to read – his attempts to help would have confused a stranger, but Rei now knew him better than she did before, and could thus effectively notice his attempts at being kind.

Beauty was self-interpretation. She had already noted that she was being pathetic.

It was because she was alone.

It was because throughout this entire modeling process, Tyki had _always_ been her partner, had always been beside her in the camera's glare. Holding her, lips pressed to her ear, arms around her waist.

A crutch was what he was.

Self-interpretation. She had always rode off of Tyki's beauty, but it wasn't beauty that was projected in a picture, but charisma. Confidence. Self-interpretation was only self-confidence.

It was like a light bulb had finally gone off in her head. No, more like a veil had been lifted. She suddenly realized that ever since she had known Tyki, her self-reliance had slowly but surely decreased to the point where separation from him made her uncomfortable, vulnerable.

Rei stood up quickly. Her phone dropped to the floor with a clack, causing her to stare down on it curiously.

How many times had she called Tyki again?

She was truly, truly idiotic.

Rei picked up the phone and powered it off. She wasn't going to call Tyki for the rest of the stay in London. It would only push her backward.

It was high-time to reassert her independence.

* * *

The days in London passed by slowly but with considerable relaxation. Rei was not a major part of the Victoria's Secret catalog and thus only had to work for a few hours in the morning with the exception of that first day. After that, though, she had done better – the photographer had still been rather irritable with her the first three days but had finally relented that she had improved, causing the shoots to go by swiftly and with hardly any trouble.

This gave her a substantial amount of free time, which she normally spent with Anja in London as the younger Schrödlich showed Rei around London's tourist attractions. The two of them got along fairly well, though whenever Anja decided to rant about Kate, Rei stayed extremely quiet, causing Anja to grow irritated with her as well. She was a character regardless, one that Rei enjoyed when she was in her more sociable moods.

The evenings, however, were almost always spent with Kanda.

It was to be expected, given that they were living in the same apartment and that Kanda had nothing to do in regards to work. Kanda's back was healing rather quickly, and only after a few days in London, he proclaimed himself healed and stopped taking his meds altogether.

He insisted on walking around the crowded streets of London incognito at night, especially around the Thames River. The icy air around the bridges was biting but always refreshing, and the two of them would remain very quiet as they stood at the edge of the bridge, bundled up with hats and scarves, silently watching the water below them froth and glide. No one gave them a second glance; Rei always had fun covertly hiding Kanda's long hair in an ear-muff hat. He would frown in clear disapproval at her frivolity but wouldn't refuse the hat; only when she lightly suggested that he wear a pink hat to match any pink dress shirt occasions did he threaten to not wear one altogether.

It was at times like these, as they walked in London unnoticed, chatting, perhaps bickering, that Rei felt incredibly at peace. It was all a haven for her, away from all the difficulties that her father, Tyki, and any assassins that were after Kanda posed. She felt safe, peaceful, her mind purposely eschewing any drama that she had been caught up in for so long.

The peace was contagious. It was the same for Kanda, evidently.

"I like London," said Rei one particularly clear night. "It's so…I don't know."

"Peaceful," said Kanda. "Only at night. I can't stand going out in the day."

"True," she admitted, "it's busy otherwise. But…it's busy at night too. I don't know how to describe it."

"It's the river," he said quietly.

"…True," she said. "It must be the river."

"…It's invigorating," said Kanda. "It's the one place where I feel calm."

"You're so deep, Kanda," she laughed, turning around and leaning back against the railing. "I'm glad, though. You seem too alert for your own good sometimes – it's nice to let your senses dull a bit."

"…When are you going to be finished with your work?" said Kanda, changing the subject evidently to one that he was more comfortable with.

"I don't think it'll take more than a few more days," said Rei. "It's going pretty fast, and the photographer absolutely adores Kate. She said that she won't be doing the runway show, since she's slightly worried Cross is going to blow up if we're gone for too long, but she's still got a few more shoots to go through."

"…Are you done?" he asked.

"Pretty much," yawned Rei. "The photographer was much nicer these last few days, and the lady in charge even said I get to keep the clothes. I've finished the whole 'student-in-sweatpants' look, and I think tomorrow I've got to do the sweaters and cardigans, but that's it."

"Good."

"Why?" she queried. "Are you anxious to get back in Portugal?"

"I need to ask Mikk a few questions," he admitted. At her unimpressed look, Kanda grew defensive. "What? It's necessary."

"Are you still hell-bent on that silly idea of yours?" she sighed. "He's not out to kill you, Kanda. Tyki's much kinder than you make him out to be."

Kanda simply averted his eyes elsewhere.

"What?" grinned Rei. "He's just like you, Kanda. Rough on the outside but really quite the softie on the inside."

Kanda arched an eyebrow.

"Say that again?"

Rei rolled her eyes. "I really don't fall for your 'angry' bluffs anymore, Kanda. Just admit it, you're much nicer than you make yourself out to be."

Kanda muttered something under his breath, but Rei didn't catch it.

"Sorry?"

"Nothing," he said. He reached into his pocket and pulled a small box out, tossing it over to her in one fluid motion.

Rei caught it easily, her expression clearly questioning.

"Open it," was all Kanda said.

She opened it, revealing a set of small dangly diamond earrings that glittered in the street's artificial lights. The writing at the base of the box indicated the maker.

"_Tiffany's_?" said Rei, somewhat aghast.

Kanda didn't answer.

"Kanda, I can't accept this," said Rei, shutting the box and handing it back to him. "It's…Tiffany's is something else. You give it to someone special."

Kanda arched an eyebrow again, but still said nothing. Rei knew what he was implying.

"…No," she said quietly.

"I gave you Swarovski before," he said emotionlessly.

"I mean, yes, that's expensive but…there was an occasion," said Rei, somewhat upset. "Birthday. But this is obviously more expensive and unless we're celebrating half-birthdays or something – and even half-birthdays don't make sense in this occasion."

"Rei, I—"

"No," she said. "I can't accept."

"Then I'm chucking it over the bridge."

"Kanda, why are you always like this?" she said angrily. "Please, give it to someone else!"

"I don't have someone else to give it to," he said staidly.

"I…"

"It's platonic," he said. "I didn't go out of my way to get it. Bookman dragged me there, and I thought I might as well get something."

"Tiffany's isn't platonic," Rei insisted. "And why the hell did Bookman go—"

A loudspeaker broke into the air as effectively as an explosion, causing all heads to turn upwards in alarm and worry. Rei noticed Kanda move unconsciously closer to her, his arm slinking around her profile as his blue eyes looked up at the sky warily.

"Attention, ladies and mates of London," said a painfully familiar voice over the loudspeaker. "If you could all direct your attention here please, yes, right at the glowing stage in the middle of the square – yes! Not hard to miss."

Rei and Kanda turned towards the square, where a stage had been set up for a band that had been serenading the passersby. The stage was now empty save for one person – the obnoxiously red hair and eye patch were undeniably easy to identify.

"Bookman?" said Rei, startled. "What's he doing?"

"I thought I'd make this a rather public spectacle, as a sign of appreciation to my fans who have been oh-so-kind to me over the years," grinned Lavi. "I wanted them to share this special moment with me. I'll make this quick and easy so none of you get bored, but first things first. Could someone escort Kathryn Jean Schrödlich up here?"

It all clicked.

"No way," breathed Rei, inching closer to the stage. "He's going to…" She turned to Kanda. "You knew?"

Kanda shrugged. "Yeah."

Someone from the crowd escorted Kate up the stage. The German model looked incredibly mortified as she was brought to the center, right in front of Lavi, who got down on one knee.

"I came to London with the intention of winning over your parents and getting their blessing," said Lavi into his microphone. "Of course, they weren't the ones I was really aiming to win over. Kate, you probably think I'm silly, immature, and much too young to be saying this to you, and that we've only known each other for half a year, but what the hell, it's only because I _am_ young that I get to say this to such a beautiful woman like you. Of all the women I've ever known, you are the most dynamic and intriguing, and I've frankly fallen for you quite seriously." He pulled the ring out of his pocket, balancing it at the tips of his fingers in front of Kate. "Will you marry me?"

Kate looked stupefied. The entire square grew deathly quiet as all activity stopped and all heads turned to the stage. Rei looked on, scarcely breathing with the rest of the crowd, as they waited with bated breath.

Kate slowly lowered herself onto one knee as well and grasped Lavi's hand in hers. She then beckoned for the microphone, which Lavi handed over to her almost reluctantly.

"Lavi Bookman," said Kate seriously.

"Yes?" said Lavi weakly.

There was a slight pause. Then…

"You couldn't ask me in a less embarrassing way?"

"Wait, is that a yes or no?"

"It's a yes, you idiot, but don't think that—"

Kate's indignation was drowned out by the cheer that erupted from the crowd, a loud swooshing ovation that swept over the entire square and exploded with unanimous euphoria and well wishes. Photographers and reporters were already beginning to crowd around the couple onstage, their cameras snapping and the flashes illuminating the area. Rei made a slight movement to charge forward through the crowd, to wish Kate and Lavi congratulations, but Kanda caught her and held her back.

"Don't you think you should leave them alone?" he said sedately. "They have enough photographers around – we can always congratulate in private."

Again, Kanda's consideration always came in bursts and surprises. He slowly guided her away from the rest of the crowd as the reporters began to swarm around; any publicity catching the two of them together and alone was sure to raise havoc.

They strode quickly along the bridge, their heads ducked and their paces matching. Rei's mind was still swimming.

"Wow," she voiced aloud. "Marriage…I didn't think they would actually marry."

"She's already twenty-two, and he's nearing nineteen," said Kanda. "It's not that surprising."

"They've only known each other for half a year."

"…Lots of things happen in half a year," answered Kanda.

His tone implied that he meant more than merely Lavi and Kate, causing Rei to stop and remember the little velvet Tiffany's box that was still grasped tightly in her hand.

"I'm returning this," she said, stretching out her arm and unfurling her fingers around the box as if it were the center of a flower. "It's not mine."

"It is now," he said monotonously, making no movement to accept it.

"Kanda," she said gently.

"Too much happens in half a year," said Kanda, turning around and walking away. "You can't reverse it all in a minute."

She opened her mouth to respond, to differ, to bring up her familiar argument that Kanda was the least considerate person in the world to consistently remind her of his emotions when they were the last thing she wanted to think about, but the words refused to come.

Innately, she knew that it was the other way around. That Kanda, who struggled so much with consideration, was being the most considerate to her than he'd ever been this last week. That she was being the inconsiderate one, blindly ignoring and avoiding all that Kanda wanted to talk about, to clarify. That the Tiffany's box in her hand was merely a gentle reminder of what could have happened, of what could _still_ happen…

Rei remained rooted where she'd stopped, staring at the box in her hand as if it were the ultimate bane of her existence. Half of her was seized with this desire to throw it over the edge of the bridge, signifying that whatever Kanda felt was not any of her business, that despite the temporary reprieve London had given her, she still had issues with Eiji and Tyki to elucidate, that Kanda was simply a burden.

But her fingers closed tightly over the box, encaging it tightly as if with a firm resolution to never let it go. Because everything – Kanda's sporadic kindness, the quiet memories that she had made as they walked along the Thames and talked about essentially nothing but positively everything – everything about these last few days of peace were embedded in those glittering stones.

So was a potential future, one that Kanda clearly wanted, one that Rei wasn't sure if she did or didn't want.

Regardless, though, throwing the box over the ledge was cruel, and casting away those calm times was impossible.

Everything she did at this point, to Kanda, at least, was cruel, inconsiderate, and, above anything, incredibly unfair.

* * *

**Free Talk**:

Okay, where to start…

For one, I am _so incredibly sorry_ for this somewhat unannounced hiatus. I know, I haven't updated all semester. Um…well, reasons included orgo (which consumes your life), social life (meeting new people is important in college), and midterm seasons just gave birth to more midterms and finals caused me to be a hermit for weeks. Yes, this doesn't explain why I didn't update sooner in the break – in all honesty, I think it can be seen that I had the hugest writer's block with this chapter.

Regarding this chapter, I don't think I've ever hated a chapter so much. Ever. Nor have I ever had this much difficulty writing it. Everything about this chapter to me seems off – Rei, Kanda, Lavi and Kate, the timing, the descriptions, everything is so off that I can't stand even editing it because it'll just make me angry and I won't know how to fix it. So, again, I am incredibly sorry for this really crappy chapter after this really long hiatus. Sorry, sorry, sorryyyy.

I attribute this to my much decreased affection to the manga – yes, what the hell is going on – but I know that isn't much of an excuse. I honestly will try harder to update, but…in the meantime…I hope you enjoy this chapter at least a little bit more than I did…I'm sorry if Rei seemed incredibly whiny. I wanted her to realize just how much she relied on Tyki (perhaps to the point where it was truly unnecessary), and that she was hardly the girl that she started out to be. Kanda was, of course, strange to some degree, but I wanted him to sort of set Rei back on track because he was, in a way, the one who detracted in the first place.

Er…happy new year! Especially to anyone graduating in 2011 – graduation is always fun. :)

Sorry for the rant. LJ probably later once I remember!

Review if you want, I really am not expecting much reception for this chapter, haha.

Until next time,

xoxo,

m.n


	40. Speeding Cars

**Chapter 39: Speeding Cars**

**

* * *

**

_"Sleeping pills know sleeping dogs lie  
never far enough away  
glistening in the cold sweat of guilt."_

**_- "Speeding Cars." Imogen Heap_**

**_

* * *

_**

London was the place to propose, it seemed. Tyki had found Lavi's proposal amusing at best and squeamish at worst. He had not thought of Lavi to be the kind of person to propose, but perhaps there was something in Kate that Lavi found special, something that was inexistent in the other women he had fooled around with before

Because it had been clear, as Tyki had watched from the sidelines of the podium, that Lavi was, shamefully enough, very much in love.

He was glad for the extensive amount of focus that Lavi had earned, for Tyki had been in London for the last week, attempting to travel incognito.

The reason behind his visit was obvious, as was the reason that he still had not shown himself to Rei. It wasn't that he had gone to London on his mere sentimental whims; the Noah family had not been able to detect any movement from Leverrier and were hence growing agitated. Lulu and Eiji seemed especially frustrated with their lack of development; Eiji, in apparent paternal care, and Lulu, for an unclear reason. They had needed someone in London to watch Rei in case the assassins had slipped their notice, and Tyki had jumped at the opportunity, sick of remaining indoors forever watching computer screens.

After clear instructions that he wasn't to show himself—Lulu had personally made it clear that she would kill him if he did—Tyki was now effectively playing the role of a stalker, having covertly obtained Rei's work schedule and place of residence for the duration of her stay.

And so he remained in the shadows, always watching, always checking in, silently escorting Rei back and forth from work and following her from a large but not unsafe distance as she went on her nightly strolls with Kanda.

Kanda. Tyki had been the one to initiate the temporary break, simply because he wanted to know if Rei could make the conscious decision to continue the relationship, all obligations discarded. And yet, he couldn't help but feel so very strange whenever he saw the two of them together, as if his existence was an afterthought that loomed oddly above their heads which they chose to ignore. Perhaps he was being melodramatic and needy, but Tyki had to admit that he had underestimated Kanda's patience and consequent persistence; in the week of following the pair, Tyki had seen a side to Kanda that he had thought was virtually impossible. True, Kanda did not open doors for Rei or do other gentlemanly things for her, but the expressions he wore when they were together were enough for Tyki to deduce his abnormal soft-spoken demeanor and a potential sense of humor, for Rei seemed to be constantly laughing around him.

The lack of phone calls was also somewhat unsettling. Rei had called insistently for the first few days – obsessively, even, but all of a sudden, she stopped calling at all. Though logically, she would've assumed that Tyki had lost his phone and therefore stopped calling, the picture didn't seem to quite fit with the scenario. It was clear that Rei was making an active effort to _not_ think about Tyki.

He tried not to dwell on it, constantly reminding himself that she had clear reasoning behind her decisions. He hadn't answered her forty-something calls…that in itself was enough reason to stop calling.

It was hard not to feel slightly jealous, though, when Tyki saw the two of them set out walking along the Thames, their shoulders brushing, their fingers nearly touching, and, as he watched their pace, he realized that their paces always matched, one step and a time, together, a unified front.

* * *

"You dyed your hair," said a very surprised Rei to Kate one night as the two of them sat down in Kate's room.

Kanda and Lavi were currently socializing with Kate's parents; Anja had left after dinner to head back to Oxford for "intensive amounts of homework: a paper on the transformative aspects of capitalism on the social structure of family, half of China's history to memorize, and an entire book to read in political science." Moments after Anja had disappeared, Kate had arrived back home rather late, her hair completely transformed into a sleek ebony shade, accentuating her smooth, high cheekbones more than before.

"They wanted me to look a bit edgier for the final shoot tomorrow," explained Kate, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Do I look strange?"

"You look more Asian than I do now," laughed Rei, "but you look fine. I'm sure you could dye your hair green and still look lovely."

"And look like a tree?" grinned Kate. "Sorry, I think I'm good. Do you think people could get me and Kanda confused from behind now?"

"Most likely," said Rei. "Don't tell him I said that though—I think he's rather touchy on his effeminate appearance."

"He's unnaturally beautiful is all that it is," said Kate smoothly. "It's nothing to be ashamed of…but enough of him. I wanted to ask you—would you mind being my maid-of-honor at the wedding?"

"Me?" said Rei, stunned. "Wouldn't you want Anja instead? She's your sister, after all…"

"Anja is…" Kate scrunched up her nose in distaste. "She's angry with me. She doesn't approve of the marriage—she says that even though she likes Lavi more than all my previous boyfriends, six months is still too short, and we're too young to have any stability. She insists that she won't even attend the wedding unless we wait for at least another year."

"She has a logical point," admitted Rei. "I mean, six months is a really short time. I couldn't imagine marrying Tyki right now."

"Or Kanda?" said Kate, trying to hide a smirk but failing.

Rei frowned. "We're not even dating, so he's not in the picture."

"Don't even make that excuse," said Kate with a slight smile. "I don't know about you, but he is _infatuated_."

"Don't associate that word with him," shuddered Rei. "He has the emotional range of a peanut—_infatuation_ is hardly in the picture."

"You can't pretend you haven't seen him—"

"Kate," said Rei somewhat sharply.

Kate fell silent at Rei's change in tone, though her expression asked for an explanation.

Rei sighed and looked away.

"I'm not so clueless as to not notice," she said quietly. "He's just…sometimes I just don't want to think about it. I just tell myself that I have too much on my plate to deal with him, but then, I end up taking him for granted and forgetting that he actually has to put in an effort to…" Her voice trailed off.

"Be nice," offered Kate.

"…Yeah," exhaled Rei. "And though I really appreciate his moments of kindness, thinking about him often stresses me out…"

"Don't you think you're being a little hard on him?" said Kate.

"You don't think I know that?" said Rei wryly. "I'm not fair—and I know it. I wonder why too—why I hate thinking about Kanda when the guy I _am_ dating won't pick up any of my calls, won't contact me—I don't even know where he's been for the last few weeks. He could be screwing some random girl, getting shit-faced…I don't know."

"You're rather hard on everyone, you know," sighed Kate. "On Kanda, on yourself…on Mikk, even. You're just jumping to conclusions. Don't you think, that after your incident in the amusement park, that Mikk needs to be working behind the shadows to find out what happened? Perhaps he won't establish contact because he _can't_. Haven't you thought about that?"

Rei was silent for a moment.

"I have," she admitted. "I have thought that perhaps the reason we're not running into troubles here in London—that Kanda and I haven't encountered any assassins when we're perfectly vulnerable while we stroll—is because Tyki's doing something about it. And yet…I can't find myself to trust that. It seems so far-fetched, for some reason. As if going so far out of his way is just…unlike him."

"You're just undergoing withdrawal," chuckled Kate. "No worries, dear—we're heading back to Portugal in two days, and you'll be reunited with Mikk, and everything will be just fine."

"Are you speaking the truth, or are you just too absorbed in your own happiness to think realistically?" said Rei ruefully.

"Probably the latter," laughed Kate. "I'm sorry, Rei, but marriage! _Marriage_! To Lavi!"

Kate didn't seem to be able to elaborate on her euphoria—she fell quiet but her face spoke all the words she couldn't form. Her eyes looked glazed over in some daydream, her cheeks flushed, her expression glowed. Rei couldn't help but empathize with Kate, to share some of the happiness that she was evidently feeling.

"Do you think we'll be happy, Rei?" said Kate suddenly, almost childishly.

Rei unconsciously smiled.

"Yeah, I think you will be, Kate. I think you will."

* * *

It was the end to another night, another night following Rei and Kanda on the Thames, and yet it seemed like their conversation was considerably more subdued than before; perhaps something had happened between them. Whatever it was, Tyki was grateful, for any rift between the two was welcome.

He returned to his hotel, nodding briefly to the valet at the door who bowed and greeted him with a, "Welcome back, sir." Tyki had just managed to shut his room door behind him when his phone rang, startling him with the abrasive ring that disturbed the silence rather ominously.

He looked down at the screen, expecting to see Lulu's name, or one of the twins', but lo and behold, it was, unexpectedly, Rei. Tyki remained still for a moment, staring at the name that appeared on his phone uncertainly. He wasn't supposed to pick up. Who knew what questions she would ask…and yet…this was the first time in so long that she had attempted to contact him. He was needed again, somehow, in some way, and this realization gave him relief from an apprehension he hadn't been aware he was holding. Without thinking about the consequences, he pressed the call button and brought the phone to his ear.

The first thing Tyki heard was a sharp intake of breath, one of surprise. There was a tensed silence before he heard her inquire, somewhat shakily,

"Are you there?"

"…Yes, I am," he answered simply.

There was another long, pregnant pause before Rei spoke again, her voice more stabilized.

"…Are you all right?" she said. "Safe?"

"…Yes," he said again. "I am."

She seemed uncomfortable with his short, abrupt answers, for silence again ensued, but he knew she was preparing her torrent of questions, and he braced himself.

"Where have you been?" she said, her tone now even.

"…I've been many places," he replied vaguely.

"Where are you _now_?" she said sharply.

"Closer than you think."

He heard rustling in the background and the creak of plastic; from his view in the hotel, he could see the window's coverings of her apartment bedroom shift and the slight glimpse of her face peering out from the glass pane. Tyki moved to the wall, avoiding her scan across the landscape that lay outside her window.

"…You're here?" she said. "In London?"

Tyki paused before replying, knowing that he had already given her too much information.

"I'm not," he said. "I'm just closer to you than you imagine."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she said placidly. "Emotionally, or physically?"

Tyki chuckled wryly. "I fear I'm much closer to you physically than emotionally, Rei. How well have you been getting along with Kanda while we've been apart?"

"That's a question for another day," said Rei.

"You've asked so many questions about my wellbeing already, love," he said, walking over to the mini-bar in his suite and uncorking a bottle of red wine. "Why can't I ask any of you?"

"Because the answer would be much more favorable to you had you actually picked up my calls weeks ago," she said.

"Ah. Which would therefore mean that you've been getting along quite well with him then?"

"…Why didn't you pick up?" said Rei, seemingly determined to avoid answering.

"Why don't we have an exchange of questions, Rei, and that way, everything will just be fairer and I—"

"Why is everything a game to you?" she interrupted. "Why do we have to have an exchange—why won't you at least give me the courtesy to explain why you haven't contacted me for the last few weeks when you're clearly not dying, clearly not cut off from the rest of the world?"

"Dear, I—"

"Don't _dear_ me," she snapped. "You don't think I've been worried? You don't think I've imagined every scenario possible that would explain why you haven't called or even _texted_?"

"Let me hear your theories then," said Tyki calmly.

He heard an angry hiss on the other end of the line but Rei didn't answer. Tyki knew why.

"Half of you was hoping I was actually in danger," he guessed as he reached for a wine glass. "If I was, then I'd be relieved of the duty to call you by default. Since I wasn't in danger, though, then that means I didn't call you of my own volition, which makes you feel like something is very wrong, either with me, or with our relationship, or both."

"And that's not a logical conclusion?" said Rei.

"Of course it's logical," said Tyki. "Using logic, however, means that you're banking only on reason, which is mutually exclusive from emotion, which in turn means that you hold absolutely no trust in me."

"That's—"

"Which means Kanda's corrupted you no little bit," he continued dryly, pouring the wine into his glass and swirling it. "You are just so very cruel sometimes, Rei."

"You…" She seemed lost for words. "Now _I'm_ cruel? Because I think it's strange you don't contact for weeks? Because you don't _respect_ me enough to let me know when you're going to disappear off the face of the earth for a month?"

"You're the one who said you couldn't make a logical relationship decision. I trusted you to trust me," he said simply.

Rei laughed humorlessly. "How could that be possible, Tyki? With your family history, it's difficult to trust any one of you."

"Then why are we talking at all, if you won't believe me when I say that everything I've been doing for these last few weeks has been for you?"

"And when did you ever say that?" she returned coldly.

"…Does that mean you actually believe I would willingly not contact you for a month?" he said incredulously.

"We all know what loyalty to the Noah family consists of," replied Rei sardonically. "Betrayal is always a looming possibility. Just look at my dad."

"Rei," said Tyki, letting that solid syllable hover in the air.

"…I don't want to talk," she said testily.

"Well, why don't you hang up then?" he replied.

There was no response; instead, the silence stretched on again, this time for so long that Tyki thought the connection had been lost, and that she really had hung up.

"Rei?" he said uncertainly.

"…I would…" she said quietly, "if I weren't afraid that you wouldn't pick up the next time I called."

Tyki paused, allowing the words to sink in. He was well aware of the relief that was filling him, coupled with the minimal amounts of happiness he allowed himself to feel.

"But if all we're going to do is snap at each other," she said with renewed strength, "then I will just hang up."

"Don't," said Tyki quickly.

"Then give me a reason to keep talking! Give me a reason to trust you, Tyki, give me something a little more substantial than your wish to have me trust you! I need proof!"

"And I have none to give you. I can't show you anything that'll satisfy you, Rei. I wouldn't ask for your blind trust if I didn't need it."

"…You don't think you take me too much for granted?" she said softly.

"…No, I don't," he said honestly. "I've never taken you for granted."

She didn't answer. Tyki felt pressured to elaborate.

"You don't really think I could take you for granted when you have Kanda so close, do you?"

"Have a little faith," said Rei piercingly, though Tyki could detect that she found his answer to be at least somewhat plausible.

"…It's difficult, sometimes," he said truthfully.

"Now you know where I'm coming from," she sighed. Tyki heard some rustling in the background and knew instinctively that she was sitting down onto a chair, which meant that the worst of the storm had passed. He took the opportunity to gulp his wine down hastily in celebration of his survival.

"You said that everything you've been doing was for me," said Rei. "Why?"

Tyki winced. This was a touchy subject. He decided to be honest about it. "I can't tell you."

"…Why?"

"How about this," he said, gearing the conversation in a different direction. "You don't ask what I've been doing for the rest of this phone call. In return, I will tell you absolutely everything when you get back to Portugal and we see each other, all right?"

"You'll tell me everything?" said Rei skeptically.

"…Yes…" he said, praying that Lulu wouldn't kill him if he did.

"You _promise_?"

"What are we in, third grade?" he said sarcastically.

"_Pinky promise_?"

"What are you _on _—"

"Tyki."

"Fine," he said with a slight roll of his eyes. "I _promise_. Are you satisfied?"

"For now," she conceded. "So…" She paused for a second, as if she didn't know what else to talk about. "How have you been?"

Tyki chuckled. "I've been well…more or less. Just tired."

"Poor you. Lulu working you hard?"

"I'm not falling for that," he grinned. "You're still trying to get information—don't try being sneaky."

"Fine," she said reluctantly. "I really just don't know what else to talk about."

"We can talk about you," offered Tyki. "Such as…how is your Victoria's Secret shoot going? Are you wearing absolutely scandalous clothing that you'll wear for me one day?"

"Sure, I'll wear it for you everyday," she replied.

"…_Really_?"

"…Tyki, I model sweatpants and sweaters."

He stared ahead, rather stunned. "What? Really? I thought Victoria's Secret was all about lingerie!"

"I'm modeling for PINK," explained Rei tiredly. "Kate's got the body for Victoria's. Clearly, I wasn't going to fight her for it."

"What a shame…" mused Tyki, sincerely disappointed. "Why does Bookman always get the racy, forward women who—"

"My bad," interrupted Rei tartly.

"Kidding," sighed Tyki. "Just kidding. Speaking of which, is Bookman serious? He wants to get married?"

"Well, I suppose this shows me that you've had Internet access, which means you could've even sent me an email."

"Rei."

She blew out a breath. "Yes, he is. Kate's all flustered—she's planning for the wedding in her head constantly."

"Hm…you think I'll be best man?"

"Not really, considering you've slept with the bride."

Tyki nearly hissed. "You are so…"

"Kidding," said Rei dryly. "Except not really."

"Please," said Tyki through gritted teeth, "stop being so belligerent."

He thought that he heard Rei laugh quietly, but it was muted by a slamming sound on the other end of the line.

"…I have to go," said Rei quietly. "Kanda's back."

"…From where?" said Tyki.

"Probably Bookman's. Strange, though."

"What is?"

"You don't seem surprised that we seem to be living together."

Tyki swore silently.

"Stop testing me, Rei," he said silkily. "Stop slipping sly questions in to the conversation. You two stayed in the same hotel room in Lisbon—I only assumed you'd stay together in London."

"Suit yourself. Bye."

"Wait."

"What?" she said. "There's really nothing else to talk about until you fess up, and that'll be in two days because we're heading back then, and I assume that's when I'll see you unless you're doing some shady business elsewhere."

"Two days?" said Tyki, surprised. "The news said in a week."

"Precautionary measures," said Rei. "So I'll see you then?"

"…Yes," he said firmly. "You will."

"Charming. Good bye."

"…Bye," he said, keeping his aggravation to a minimum.

He heard her chuckle slightly.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing," she said, her humor evaporating. "Goodbye."

"I…miss you," he said suddenly, wincing the moment he heard himself say it.

He heard her laugh again, this time a bit more audibly, and knew that Rei, who was normally so difficult to appease, was pacified for the time being.

"Me too," she conceded just as quickly and awkwardly. "I'll…I'll see you soon then."

"Mm. Bye, love."

The line disconnected, effectively disconnecting Tyki from the little bit of contact he had essentially lacked for so long. Despite the strange and tense dynamic of the conversation though, he could not help but feel relieved…and somewhat…glad. Just two days more.

His phone rang, and Tyki looked down eagerly, expecting it to be Rei again. Unfortunately, it was Lulubell.

"Hello?" he said into the receiver while suppressing his disappointment.

"Update for you," said Lulu, her tone clipped. "We've gotten a few leads—Leverrier's men are in London."

Tyki sat upright. "Where?"

"…We don't know," admitted Lulu. "They're proving harder to find than we thought—Eiji only managed to find the general areas…their specific locations are unknown."

"When did they check into London?"

"I don't know," said Lulu. "I want to say sometime this week, but I have no idea why they would come this late…London's overflowing with much tighter security—it doesn't make sense."

"They know we're going to be watching them in Portugal," said Tyki. "You have no idea where they are?"

"Eiji's in London at the moment as well. He anticipates that they'll attack when the group is en route to the airport next week…"

"No," said Tyki. "They're coming back the day after tomorrow."

"That's not what I heard."

"I…snooped around," lied Tyki thinly.

Lulu did not seem to believe him but, convinced by his assertion, did not pursue the subject.

"You're sure they're coming back the day after tomorrow then? Positive?"

"Yes."

"Very well…we'll plan for then…in the meantime, I need you to stay in London. Try to make contact with Eiji—he's not answering my calls, so I'm slightly worried."

"He wouldn't be dead, would he?" said Tyki, somewhat alarmed.

"No, of course not," said Lulu crossly. "He's much too professional for that…putting that aside, I need you to secretly escort the group when they go to the airport. Scan the area for snipers…the norm. Once they land in Portugal, take the next flight back immediately."

"Fine. Is everyone else staying in Lisbon then?"

"Eiji's away, but the twins are here, and Cyril, except he's busy with politics. If that's all—I'm busy."

"One moment," said Tyki sharply.

"What?"

"I'm going to tell Rei what's been going on when we see each other next. I just thought I'd give you the heads up."

"What's she going to have against it, Tyki? All you've been doing is protecting her."

"Precisely, so you shouldn't have anything against it either. I can't help get the feeling that you're hiding a little more than you let on though," he said coolly.

"Assume whatever you want, Tyki—I've revealed all my cards. Hurry up and just focus on making sure that silly little girl doesn't die before we can use her."

She hung up without another word, leaving Tyki alone to his own speculations. He brushed them aside, however, and began to pack his things for departure. Despite his instinct that nothing seemed quite right about the situation—that they'd found the yakuza men a little too quickly and abruptly—he began his preparations otherwise.

There was, of course, little time to waste.

Just two more days.

* * *

"You're in a good mood," remarked Kanda suddenly.

The two of them had merely been watching the television without any conversation; the abrupt comment startled Rei out of her mindless thoughts, and it took her a few seconds to register what Kanda had said.

"What makes you think that?" she asked.

"When you grin like that, you just look stupid," he answered dryly. "It's pretty obvious you're thinking about something equally stupid, which means you're happy."

"How do you even make that kind of conjecture—never mind," she said hastily once Kanda arched an eyebrow to answer the question. "I'm in a better mood than I was yesterday."

"Why?"

Rei frowned. "I can't just be in a good mood?"

"No, you can't," he said simply. "If you don't want to answer though, I'll guess. Mikk called."

Rei's frown deepened but she made no movement to reply.

"Or…you caved, you called, and he miraculously picked up," continued Kanda in that terribly detached tone. "He said a few appealing words and you essentially forgot the fact that he hasn't contacted you in _weeks,_ and now you're perfectly happy with him."

"I'm far from happy with him," she said sharply. "I can't deny that it's good to hear from him though—at least I know he's not dying."

"Che," scoffed Kanda, "when did you ever think he was in danger? And don't say that you always have thought so—we both know that it's all highly unlikely."

"He'll explain when we return," said Rei. "That's all."

"And you're _satisfied_ with that?"

"No, I'm not," she admitted. "But that was all he was going to give me, and I'll just take it for now. Besides, I just have the slightest hunch he's in London…"

"No matter how stupid you are, you can't expect me to abandon all caution regarding Mikk just because you have a _hunch_ he's here," snarled Kanda. "And who the hell knows—he's probably here to kill me anyway—"

"I have never agreed with you that Tyki would try to kill you," said Rei harshly. "That was your speculation and yours alone—don't expect me to think you're important enough for Tyki to risk so much to get rid of."

"Fine," said Kanda, standing up. "We'll just wait until we're back in Portugal and I end up getting killed—we'll see how you feel about things then—"

"Why do you insist that you're going to get killed? We've been in London for weeks and nothing has happened—and even you know how vulnerable we are when we're walking every night! Nothing's happened, Kanda, nothing's _going_ to happen, and you're just refusing to admit that Tyki wouldn't do anything to hurt you just because he's decent enough not to!"

"You're not the only one with _hunches_, Matsumomo!" he snapped. "Of course I realize how vulnerable we are—so why _aren't_ we getting hunted down? The Ferris wheel attack was in broad daylight—someone is out to get me, you, us, and they're desperate—so why aren't we in trouble here in London? It's the silence before a storm, Rei, it's not going to just blow over—something is going to happen and we're going to completely miss it because you're too blinded by your senseless trust in a man who's the most likely to be the one trying to kill us!"

Rei stood up instantly; Kanda recoiled as she reached out to him, as if he had been anticipating her to hit him, but Rei simply grabbed him by the wrist and looked at him resolutely.

"Talking to Tyki let me remember that there is something," she said quietly, "called blind trust. At this point in my life—when I have been betrayed by the only family member I have left—you'd think that I wouldn't have that left in me. But if I can't trust Tyki, Kanda, then I can't trust anyone who has my best intentions at heart. I…" She paused, thinking back to the conversation that she and Tyki just had earlier that night. "I'm not making this decision logically precisely because I can't, Kanda."

"You can't," he said coldly, "but I can, because the last thing I harbor towards Mikk is _blind trust_—"

"I'm not asking you to trust him," she said gently. "But if you can…at least believe me when I say that I have your best…" She paused again. She didn't have his best intentions at heart. The best thing for Kanda would be for her to actually reciprocate his feelings.

She changed the direction of her sentence.

"I just want you to loosen up a little…to see things…from my perspective."

"What perspective?" said Kanda chillingly. "One of naïveté? Don't you think in the slightest, Rei, that had this been six months ago, you would be agreeing with me because you would be thinking from the perspective of a _bodyguard_ instead of some girl who is completely duped by her boyfriend—"

"Stop."

"Then what do you expect from me? The same kind of naïveté?"

"No," said Rei helplessly. "I just want you to…trust me on this. Even if it's just for a little bit."

Kanda just looked at her, his expression unreadable and unchanging. Rei returned the gaze, slightly hopeful, but she knew that Kanda was not going to yield, that he was not going to trust…

And why would he? Again, it was Rei asking just that little bit more of Kanda—it was that selfish part of her simply taking a mile when he gave her an inch…

Kanda tugged his wrist out of her hand gently. Rei let her arm fall to her side like a deadweight; she made no response.

He said nothing as well, only letting the silent rest for a few minutes. Twice he opened his mouth as if to make some explanation, and twice he closed it without a word. Rei gave a quiet scoff, finally looking away after the drawn out stress became too much to keep up. Kanda shook his head as well and turned away at long last, walking haltingly back to his room.

Rei crossed her arms and sank back into her chair as the door to Kanda's room clacked shut. She let out a tired breath and turned off the lights, letting herself fall in the gentle hands of the surrounding darkness, very much appreciating the fact that she was alone.

* * *

The following days passed with excruciating slowness. The atmosphere with Kanda could not have taken a worse turn, for while Rei was used to Kanda's sullenness and knew how to deal with it appropriately, she did not quite know how to approach the new mood he now exerted. It was a cross between sulkiness and regret, as if they had rewound back to the very beginning of their relationship—it was an awkward kind of miscommunication, an inability to understand.

That was, an inability to understand on _his_ part. Rei understood Kanda perfectly, knew precisely the unwillingness he had to trust Tyki, to trust _her_, and additionally knew the resentment he was still holding for her lack of outward appreciation to the Tiffany earrings he had bought her.

Nonetheless, she made no conscious effort to act as if she did understand him, nor did she attempt to force him to see why she required his blind trust.

The rift between them was a necessary one. They'd gotten too close from their time alone. She had found herself contemplating. Wondering.

Thinking that, perhaps, their mere-finger brushing might turn into hand-holding. Thinking that the hand-holding might feel good. Might feel…right.

Thinking that, perhaps, she had made the wrong choice with Tyki.

But it was all groundless speculation, those little emotions that she had never been able to completely get rid of ever since she and Tyki had begun dating. They were too unfair.

So she attempted not to think about Kanda, trying to wrap up the Victoria's Secret shoot as quickly as possible. Rei was eager to return to Portugal and perhaps find some substantial reasons behind Tyki's disappearance—some indescribable train of thought convinced her that Tyki would _really_ tell her the truth, and that the truth would be gallant and glorious, vindicating him of all of Kanda's suspicions.

This idealization was contrary to everything Rei's personality was based on, but she clung to it obstinately. If it came true, she wanted to use it to it maximum potential against Kanda, to prove that she was right and that his paranoia was absolutely groundless.

The day of their departure finally arrived. It was a colder, drearier day than normal, but, as it had been since the proposal, Kate's effervescence was unhindered.

"Do you think it'd be weird if I wore red at the wedding?" wondered Kate aloud as the valets packed their bags into the trunk of the limo.

"Kate, now is sort of a bad time," said Rei as she struggled with her suitcase.

"Oh, just let them get it, that's what they're there for," she blustered in return, motioning for one of the men to relieve Rei of her burden. "I'd rather you sit here and talk with me."

"We have the entire plane ride. It's fine, I got it," Rei added to the valet, hauling her bag into the trunk. "Besides, Kate, you don't even have a date for the wedding…it's a bit premature, isn't it?"

"Oh…I wanted to do it on Lavi's birthday," said Kate, a bit disappointed.

"Which is months away," sighed Rei. "C'mon, can we worry about getting to Portugal in secret first? I talked to Tyki a few days ago and let him know that we were coming back today—"

"Wait," interrupted Kate, "you got in contact with him?"

"Yeah."

"Well?" she persisted, her now-black eyebrows arched dangerously high. "What excuse did he have?"

"He didn't give one," answered Rei. "He just said that he couldn't tell me why he didn't contact, and that he'd explain everything once we were back in Portugal—"

"In his arms," said Kate, shaking her head. "Don't you feel like he's just duping you?"

"Didn't you say that I was being harsh on him when I said that?"

"Well, yes, but logically speaking—"

"What's up with your change of heart? Did you hear Kanda rant to Bookman or something?" said Rei sarcastically.

Much to Rei's surprise, Kate pursed her lips and remained silent.

"You did?" said Rei, stunned. "Wait, I mean, _Kanda talked to Bookman_?"

"He just mentioned it in passing," said Kate hastily. "He was just…talking about how he felt somewhat…off."

"Off," repeated Rei, still recovering from the revelation that Kanda could actually confess his inner feelings in mere passing. "As in he thinks the roof's going to cave in at any minute because even the makers of this apartment are secretly assassins who were aiming to kill him before he was even born—"

"Your sarcasm's dulling, Rei," remarked a voice behind her.

Lavi approached the two of them and dumped a suitcase effortlessly in the trunk. He leaned over and kissed Kate briefly on the cheek before addressing Rei.

"I thought Kanda was acting strange yesterday and asked him about it," explained the Brit. "Surprisingly, he was nervous enough about the situation to coherently tell me the foundation for his suspicions—and after hearing everything, I think he's got some basis for his…paranoia."

"Did he happen to mention to you that he thinks _Tyki_ is out to kill him?" said Rei coldly.

"He did," sighed Lavi, "and strange as it seems, I wouldn't rule it out as a possibility."

Rei stared at him incredulously. "You…you're supposed to be Tyki's best mate! How could you honestly accuse him of—"

"I'm not accusing him of anything, Rei. I'm just saying—it's _possible_. Especially from Kanda's viewpoint. Cut him some slack, all right? He knows Mikk used to do all those shady things for the Mafia, and he knows that the Noah family has a perfect reason to get rid of him. He adds two and two together—it makes sense to him."

"And it makes sense to you too?" she returned frostily.

"It's okay, Rei," interjected Kate. "I think we're all just feeling a bit off because of the weather—if we're in danger, I'm sure you'd have the best judgment. You're our little bodyguard after all. We're all just being paranoid."

Lavi opened his mouth to say otherwise, but Kate punched him gently on the shoulder.

"We're just being _paranoid_," she reiterated lightly. "Why are we thinking about such silly things anyway? Marriage, marriage," she said happily. "We can just think about that instead…happy days, happy days…"

Lavi shook his head but just wrapped his arm around Kate's shoulders in acquiescence. It was clear that the looming prospect of marriage, to the both of them, was much more appealing.

"Fine, fine," he yielded, kissing her again on the forehead. "Happy days, happy days…"

Rei rolled her eyes and turned the other way, giving the two of them as much privacy as she could. She did not turn around without the slightest bit of jealousy, though. It was as if she had forgotten, a long time ago, exactly what "happy days" consisted of.

* * *

"They're in the plane," said Tyki to his phone as he watched Rei disappear into the gate.

"No incidents?" said Lulu on the other end.

"None," said Tyki with a relieved sigh. "And I had people double-check the plane to make sure nothing was wrong with it. They'll land in Lisbon safely, at the least."

"…It's just _strange_," said Lulu.

"I think so too…are you _sure_ they were in London?"

"Well, that's just what Eiji said!" she said, sounding frustrated. "But I haven't been able to contact him since he arrived in London…and it just doesn't make sense. If they were in London, they'd have attacked already. And if they're in Lisbon, we would've noticed them…" Lulu let out a breath; she seemed exhausted. "Regardless…you can head back then. Catch the next flight—as soon as possible. I don't want to be the one dealing with their petty questions."

"I'll see you at nine tonight then," said Tyki. "Are you going to pick them up?"

"As if," she scoffed. "Don't worry, someone else is already going to get them."

"Someone responsible, I hope?"

"Of course. Responsible. Very much so."

* * *

"Are you kidding me?" said Rei, slowing to a stop with her bags in tow as the four of them arrived at the passenger pick-up lounge.

Cross Marian was standing in the center of the room, his flaming hair easily noticeable amidst the crowd. Cameras were already surrounding them as passersby looked on in earnest, whispering to each other and sometimes even screaming upon seeing Lavi or Kate.

"You're here to pick us up?" said Lavi, dumbfounded.

"What?" said Cross as if it were natural. "I'm not allowed to pick up the models who _ran away _during the middle of my shoot in order to make sure that they actually do some work for me?"

"You weren't doing anything," snapped Kate. "For your information, London was the most productive time of my last six months—I earned thousands. And got engaged," she added more sweetly. "Engaged! Engaged! I'm going to be married—"

"Yeah, yeah," said Cross disinterestedly. "Now hurry up and get in the car—I've been waiting for half an hour already. It's raining, the paparazzi have been hounding me with questions, and I only had a bottle of champagne to comfort me in the meantime."

"You been…drinking?" said Kanda, stupefied.

"What?" the photographer challenged. "I've been bored as hell—there was nothing else to do."

"Didn't you drive here?" said Rei weakly.

"Yeah. It's fine, kids," said Cross airily, waving a hand. "It was just a bottle—I'm perfectly sober right now—"

"No!" said Rei, scandalized. "I'm _not_ riding in the same car as you—you'll kill us all!"

"Do you really want to make a scene here, Rei?" he replied. "Look, the photographers are gathering and want to ask you all questions—can we just get a move on already?"

"Fine, let's go," said Kanda, pushing forward in an effort to escape the microphones that were growing ever closer. "Rei, you're the only one who didn't drink on the plane—you drive."

"I don't think that's a great idea—"

"Bookman and Schrödlich finished three bottles by themselves—they're pretty gone," said Kanda. "I finished a couple glasses, and—"

"I wouldn't want you driving me anywhere anyway," said Rei fervently. "Fine, I'll drive. Oh, shit, please don't ask me any questions—"

"Rei! How are things going with Tyki?" a reporter shouted from the expanding sea of people. "We hear you were shooting for Victoria's Secret these last few weeks—why was Kanda with you? Are you two dating? How do you feel about Kate and Lavi's engagement—"

"Move," snapped Kanda, pushing Rei forward so that she finally exited the airport. The weather outside was terrible—a full-on thunderstorm was raging, clouding the blackened sky despite the fact that it was only early evening. A valet drove the car up to them and parked it in order to help load their bags into the trunk. Kanda gestured to Rei to take the front seat while he waited for the other three to catch up.

"I call shot-gun," said Kate in a sing-song voice. Without waiting for anyone else to answer, she opened the door for herself and slid in effortlessly. Reporters were still clamoring after her as she got in: "Kate! Congratulations on your engagement—how do you feel? When is the wedding going to be? How about the new hairstyle—is the black hair supposed to signify a new start? A bolder, more serious you?"

"Geez…" said Kate, stretching out in her seat after slamming the door shut. "No, I just wanted to look Asian! I wanted to look exactly like Kanda because he's quite possibly the most beautiful man in the world!"

"What happened to me?" said Lavi from the backseat.

"But I couldn't be a ginger!" laughed Kate. "I'd look awful!"

"You're drunk," said Rei wearily. "You're all drunk, and I'm the poor girl who's sober and has to drive a bunch of raucous drunk people to…Cross, where are we going?"

"Why do the men sit in the back?" grumbled Cross in return. "I said I was perfectly sober enough to drive, and—"

"Where are we going?" deadpanned Rei.

"GPS is set to our destination," said Kate pointedly. "Oh, c'mon Rei, you're so angry lately—just think, in minutes, you're going to be reunited with dear Mikk and—"

"That's the point!" Rei snarled. "_Why the hell isn't he here_?"

"I haven't seen him around since you guys left," said Cross. "I've been virtually model-less, unless you want to count dear little Lenalee, who has actually taken some great photos with Walker, funnily enough—"

"Hurry it up, Rei," said Kanda's annoyed voice from behind. "The reporters are getting into the cars—you might want to speed out of here already."

Rei heaved a sigh and pulled the car out onto the roads, her eyes scanning the view in front of her. The steering wheel felt unfamiliar under her palms—she had not driven in a long time. The unfamiliarity made her nervous, for some reason, as did the thundering rain that came crashing around them; she quickened the window wipers, but it didn't help her vision. She bit her lower lip and slowly eased the car through the lanes, trying to keep the speed at one that could help her navigate the rain.

Unfortunately, she didn't have that kind of luxury.

"They're getting closer," said Kanda, his tone clearly implying for her to speed up.

"I'm hurrying already," said Rei angrily, gunning the accelerator despite the uncomfortable feeling it gave her. The car jerked forward and merged onto the highway, where Rei smoothed out the pace and let out another deep breath, attempting to calm her nerves.

"Man, this is some shitty weather…" remarked Lavi, sounding a bit more sober. "You okay driving, Rei?"

"I…" said Rei hesitantly, her eyes glancing down at the speedometer and noticing with a slight ping of discomfort that she was going at a speed much too fast for the weather.

"Of course she is!" laughed Kate, still bubbly. "She's our little bodyguard after all, she can do anything and keep us safe—"

There was a loud explosion of noise, and the car suddenly whirled out of control. Rei could hear Kate scream and grasped the steering wheel under her fingers, turning it in some direction that she wasn't quite sure of as she braked as hard as she could—to no avail. The car was skidding across the street like some marionette on strings, uncontrolled, untamed; it began to turn on its wheels, heading for the side of the road, where there was another explosion, and an impact, and a jolting forward and that sensation you get at the very top of roller coasters before falling straight down, and too much noise and shouting and panic and shattering and fear.

And all this happened in milliseconds, because all Rei could hear was herself scream, even though all of it never stopped.

* * *

Tyki waited patiently in the London airport, in a lounge that was thankfully private because he was sick of being glanced at every two seconds by some strange female whose suspicions of his identity were clearly correct.

He hated simply sitting in one spot and twiddling his thumbs in wait, but that was really all he could do at the moment. He couldn't help but feel as if something was off, or wrong, because he hadn't been able to find those assassins that Lulu had talked about…but where else could they be? Not in Lisbon…the twins, or Eiji, or Lulu would've caught them…

Tyki found himself looking forward to the plane ride, because only after the plane ride could he finally see Rei after so long. And even though this confrontation could quite possibly be the last, because he was going to ask—outright—whether she wanted him or Kanda, obligations aside, Tyki couldn't deny that he was merely glad to be able to see her.

There was a commotion outside of the lounge, as the voices seemed to swell, gasp, and scream as one collective unit, but Tyki paid it no heed. It was not worth going out to find the origin of the public's novelty and risk being discovered. Besides, it was quite likely that he himself was that novelty.

His phone rang and he picked up absentmindedly.

"Hello?"

"There's been a car crash," said Lulu's voice swiftly.

Tyki scarcely breathed, his entire body going rigid.

"Please," he said, immensely struggling with the effort to keep his voice under control, "tell me that Rei—"

"She's been flown to the nearest hospital—we're getting the best doctors to tend to her. From what I've heard…she's moved past the critical stage, and will hopefully be all right."

Tyki let out a breath and inhaled immediately after, as if he had been deprived of oxygen and was thus gasping to keep his body functioning.

"Thank God," he said. "Thank God…I thought you were going to say that she—"

"Tyki."

Lulubell's voice was not relieved, nor was it encouraging. Tyki stiffened again, knowing that there was bad news, even though it was not the worst.

"What is it?" he asked shakily.

"Kate Schrödlich. She's dead, Tyki."

And then, as if she needed to say it one more time because she herself could not believe it, as if it could not become unreal, as if she could make it all a dream…

"She's dead."


	41. Death and All His Friends

**Chapter 40: Death and All His Friends**

* * *

_"I took my love down to violet hill  
there we sat in snow  
All that time she was silent still._

**_If you love me,  
won't you let me know?_**

**_-Coldplay. "Violet Hill"_**

* * *

When she thought back to it all…

There had been that time she had found herself conflicted and loathsome, obsessed with the superficiality of the celebrity world because it was precisely everything her parents resented.

The champagne, the parties, the sexual charge. The pointless conversations and the apparent attempts to impact the world in utterly useless ways.

But she grew to love what she did, grew to possess her image in front of the camera, enjoying the sensation of producing sensuality, of being an object of desire and sophistication. She found her sexuality empowering, and she felt alive when she used it: seduction, empowerment, exploitation.

When she looked back, even that was useless.

Perhaps the only bits of her life that were colored was when she realized what it felt like to be truly loved, to feel that complete sense of happiness when someone made her whole and when makeup wasn't what made her beautiful, but instead it was the interlocked fingers and the smiles amidst kisses and those whispers that never bored her, never left her alone.

It was as if it had all been a blank slate of white, tinted in black and white gradations occasionally, but only coloring when he walked in, when he picked her up and added those red and green hues from his palette of many shades.

And it got to the point where she felt alive not just in front of the camera, but all the time, and the superficiality became a reality instead, one that was enrapturing and made her just that happy to be alive.

When she thought back to it all…

She was sorry.

She really was.

But it was too late.

She was already nothing.

* * *

Lulubell hung up the phone wearily, massaging her temples with one hand as the other set the electronic device down on her desk. She didn't understand. The footage that continued to play on the television was not clear enough for her to deduce anything; all it replayed, over and over again, was the black Rolls-Royce that Cross had driven to the airport go skidding across the freeway like a thin skater on ice, conducting a perfect double-axel before slamming into the borders of the highway. She could not help but cringe every time she saw the replay—the force experienced by the front of the car was tremendous even from a distance…it was no wonder…

She shuddered and shut off the T.V., unable to keep analyzing the footage in order to glean additional information from it. It looked like a car accident, nothing more, nothing less, an unfortunate one that was catalyzed by the torrents of rain and paparazzi following them…

The door burst open without preamble, causing Lulubell to whirl around in her seat, her gun cocked and aimed directly at her intruder.

"Eiji," she said, stunned and lowering her weapon upon recognition.

Eiji was wide-eyed, frazzled, detracting from his normal calm composure. He was dripping wet, leaving a noticeable trail of water on the carpet as he approached her.

"Rei," he said hoarsely. "Where is she?"

"In the hospital—she was flown there only moments ago," said Lulu. "But how are you here? I thought you were in London—there's no way you could've gotten back so quickly. Tyki's flight only just took off."

"Never mind that now, Lulu," said Eiji distractedly, "what matters now is my daughter. She's alive, then? She'll be fine?"

"So far, yes," said Lulu slowly, still unable to shake off the feeling that something was off.

"Are there any casualties? Did anyone die?"

"Kate…Kate Schrödlich," she answered.

Eiji visibly paled.

"Kate Schrödlich?" he repeated. "Are…are you certain?"

"She was sitting shotgun," said Lulu reservedly. "She experienced the brunt of the force…"

"_She_…" Eiji cleared her throat. "She…I thought she had brown hair?"

"…She dyed it," said Lulu, her suspicion growing with the complete irrelevance of the observation. "What's going on, Eiji?"

"Nothing," he said swiftly. "Nothing…I…I need to go check on Rei."

"She'll be fine—Tyki will be arriving and he'll check in with her. You'd better stay here," she said.

"No, I must—"

"Eiji," said Lulu with finality.

Eiji looked at her haggardly.

"Your daughter will be fine," she said quietly. "You look exhausted—you should get some rest…I have a few questions for you…but I assume asking them now would be cruel of me…"

Lulu beckoned for Eiji to leave.

"Go sleep—I'll let you know if there's anything wrong with your daughter, all right?"

"Lulubell…" Eiji sighed. "Very well—if there's any news, alert me immediately."

"Will do," she smiled.

Eiji nodded and left, but the moment the door closed firmly behind him, the smile evaporated from Lulu's face. She turned around in her chair and flipped the television back on before taking her phone and dialing a number into it.

"Benedito at your service, madame," said a voice after only one ring.

"Benedito, I need you to contact the local police and acquire footage from the crash that's all over the news right now—you know which one I'm talking about, yes?"

"Of course."

"Get the footage and give it to me as soon as possible."

"Will that be all?"

"Yes. Just make it quick."

"Very well. I'll contact you as soon as I have it."

"Thank you."

She hung up and let out a long breath.

She had crawling suspicions.

* * *

When she opened her eyes, she hadn't known what to expect.

But she had not anticipated to be alone.

For some reason, as she sat up slowly, growing aware of every pain that came to stab her all over her body, she didn't feel like she should have been alone. She wanted someone to be there. Someone to tell her where she was, and why she was there, and while they were at it, tell her who she was, who they were…

It all came back to her, though, quickly and successively. She just sat on the bed, staring unseeingly in front of her at the white wall, recollecting, realizing…

There had been a crash. She'd lost control of the car—and everyone was there with her—Kanda. What happened to Kanda? And Kate, and Lavi, and Cross—where were they? Why was she alone?

Rei slid out of the bed as quickly as she could, only to realize that she was connected through IVs to various machines. She glanced rapidly around at the room, looking at the monitor screens that had numbers she didn't know how to interpret, and then yanked the needles out of her wrist with one swift pull. The dull beeping suddenly accelerated but came to a stop the moment she stepped out of the room.

She found herself dragging her feet, realizing that her breath came difficulty, that her entire body ached, and it got to the point where she had to stop and lean against the wall, trying to make sense of why she hurt so much, why she was being seized with this crawling fear that something had gone terribly wrong because she had woken up alone.

She looked down out her hands, startled to see that they were bandaged tightly. Panic began to fill her; she brought her hands to her face, only to notice that there were bandages on her cheeks as well. She whirled around, seeking wildly for a mirror. Her eyes landed on her reflection in a glass pane. She had been changed into a hospital gown, but that wasn't surprising—what was were the patches that had been plastered on her cheeks, under her chin, around her neck; she looked down again at her hands another time and rolled up her sleeves—they were bandaged, everything was bandaged, and the old idiom that seeing was believing suddenly became real because everything began to stab with pain even more, mocking her for her foolishness that she could recover so quickly. Rei gasped slightly, winded and seeing black spots in her vision, and leaned even more heavily on the wall, unable to bring herself to go forward, but even more unable to return to that safe haven of the hospital bed.

She was alive, but where were the others? Why wasn't Kanda there? Was he hurt? Was he dead? Her heart convulsed wildly at this thought and she gasped again out of this new onslaught of pain; she choked back a sob, praying, and forced herself to move further down the hall, trying to find someone, anyone, who could tell her what had happened, what she had done wrong, why she had lost control of the car even though all of them had trusted her with it—

"REI!"

Her name was shouted with a panic, a fervor that she didn't think could've been possible. It was a familiar voice, and old voice that unconsciously made her calmer. She turned around slowly, bracing herself for who it could be, but she was caught immediately, her body completely enveloped by someone else's arms as they wrapped around her tightly.

"You're safe," said an unsteady whisper, "you're awake, you're safe…alive…why are you out of bed? Why isn't there a doctor around—"

She was let go, allowing her to breathe and look up.

Ah.

It was Tyki.

He looked so unfamiliar all of a sudden, his hair frazzled and his golden eyes combing the hallway frenetically. His arms provided a support that she dearly needed for he was almost lifting her off the ground, holding her, helping her. And yet it was almost unwanted—she didn't feel comfortable, for some reason, she wasn't worried because shed known he was safe from the start. But the others? What of them?

"…Tyki," she said raspily, as if it were a completely foreign name to her.

He looked down at her, his expression indescribable.

"Rei, it's okay," he said softly. "It's okay, it wasn't your fault, please get back into bed and stay safe, no one is blaming you, it's not your fault—"

"My fault?" she repeated numbly, as if she'd never expected him to say it. "My fault…it was…" It registered, his statement, difficult though it was. "I'm sorry…I crashed…I shouldn't have, I don't know…why…I'm so sorry…" Her throat was constricting. "I'm sorry, is everyone…where are they…Kanda…"

At the mention of his name, Tyki's hold on her waist tightened. He opened his mouth to reply, but there was no need, because a profile at the end of the hallway caught Rei's eye, and she pulled out of Tyki's hold instantly.

She saw Kanda's figure tense infinitesimally before rushing towards her—as he grew closer, she noticed that his face was scratched but he was running with ease, it seemed, and the relief that he was safe caused her to collapse the moment he got to her. Kanda caught her and eased her up gently; she was uncontrollably crying now, unconsciously wrapping her arms around Kanda's neck as the sobs began to take over her body.

"Thank God," she heard him breathe. "Thank God, thank God, I thought you…"

She broke the hug and stepped back, smiling tremulously while she shook her head in relief.

"I'm okay," she whispered, "I'm okay. I'm so glad…you're safe, thank God…and the others?" she said hopefully. "They're all okay then, right? Is Bookman with Kate? Cross? How are they?"

Kanda's face twisted as she mentioned the others, and though he didn't reply, his expression was enough for Rei to deduce the worst. The little color that filled her cheeks upon seeing Kanda safe and sound drained from Rei's face in a matter of milliseconds and she stared blankly at Kanda, silently demanding an answer.

"Are they injured?" she asked shakily. "They'll…they'll recover, right? I woke up, they should wake up too—who's not okay? What's wrong?"

Kanda remained silent, but his expression became more pained with every question she fired at him, and it looked like he was grinding his teeth in refusal to reply. And though innately she knew that he was doing it because he didn't want to let her hear the news, Rei was seized with infuriation that only fueled her panic.

"_Tell me!"_ she shrieked.

"It's…"

Kanda's voice faltered and he averted his gaze. Fed up, Rei broke from his grasp and began to run down the hall that Kanda had emerged from as quickly as possible. Her stride was hobbled, crippled, but she grappled with the wall for support and managed to travel at least fast enough to get through a pair of steel double-doors that were labeled "Emergency: Staff and Personnel Only" before Kanda and Tyki caught up with her.

Rei stopped at the entrance of the corridor. Cross was sitting on a bench, his elbows resting on his knees as his face leaned against his hands; he was completely still, serene, even, as if he were praying. Rei turned her gaze to the wall across from Cross, finding Lavi, who was slumped against the light gray wallpaper and staring blankly in front of him, unmoving, expressionless. Both were not critically injured, at least—bandages scattered their arms and Lavi was sporting one under his already patched eye, but there was nothing else. No slings, no casts.

"Where's Kate?" Rei asked, breaking the silence.

The two men looked towards her, as if noticing her presence there for the first time. Cross's expression finally changed to one of relief.

"You're all right," he said. "You woke up. They said you might not—they said the—"

"Where's Kate?" said Rei persistently.

Cross didn't answer, but his gaze averted elsewhere. Rei turned desperately to Lavi.

"Bookman, where's—"

"Why are you alive?" he interrupted.

Rei stopped breathing, frightened by the aloof way that Lavi had spoken. Questions to elucidate his meaning failed to project from her throat, but there was no need to voice them, for Lavi continued to elaborate in an awful, detached tone.

"You were driving. You were both in the front. So tell me why you're alive," he said, standing up and approaching her. He could've been talking about the weather, his voice was so monotone.

Rei took a step back as he looked levelly down on her.

"I…I don't—"

Lavi grabbed her by the collar and slammed her against the wall; her head spun dizzily and the black dots multiplied tenfold, but all she could see was Lavi's face in front of hers, furious, and his eyes, cold, and wet.

"_She's dead!_" he shouted, his voice ringing through the hallway. "She's dead, but you were the one driving, you were both in the front, but tell me then, why the fuck are you the one alive and she's the one who had to die on the spot? Tell me why the fuck you crashed, Rei Matsumomo, and had to leave yourself alive but she died! Tell me!"

Rei just stared at him, unable to answer as if her vocal chords had just collapsed on her. The tears that had stopped temporarily now slid freely down her cheeks, but it was as if she couldn't notice it, as if she had grown oblivious to everything around her except for the expression on Lavi's face, one of cold fury, demand, pain, unreasoned panic.

She didn't understand. Who was dead? Why was she alive? Why did Lavi ask her questions that she could not answer? Her brain could not process Lavi's anger, his demands; where was Kate to calm him down? Why was he being so irrational? And why was Rei crying?

Tyki intervened, forcibly separating Lavi's wrenched hands from Rei's collar. Though the action was done with no hesitation, Tyki looked at Lavi emotionlessly, as if he were trying his hardest to remain as blank as possible in order not to ignite a worse reaction from Lavi.

"You should go rest," said Tyki quietly to him. "You need it—all of you need it."

"Sleep is the last thing I need," said Lavi harshly. "Get out of the way, Mikk—she hasn't understood—I'll _make_ her understand—"

"I'm only not dealing with you now because I know you're grieving," said Tyki in that same calm manner, "but if you lay another hand on Rei, I won't resist retaliating. Go rest, Bookman. There's nothing you can do now."

"Where's Kate?" said Rei.

Tyki looked at her painfully while Lavi's face was renewed with fury. He opened his mouth, but Tyki beat him to it.

"Did you…not hear Bookman?" he asked simply.

"Bookman? He said…but that can't be right," she said earnestly. "Kate's probably fine—she's just sleeping, like I was—she's just injured and tired, they probably put her in a bed so she can wake up soon—"

"Rei," said Tyki gently, "she was pronounced dead at the scene."

"Stop," said Rei, her body starting to shake uncontrollably. She did not want to hear the word "dead." She didn't want to hear anything related to dying. She wanted Tyki to shut his mouth, to sew up his lips and never speak again because he didn't know what he was talking about, didn't know what she wanted to hear…

But Tyki continued relentlessly.

"There wasn't a chance for her to wake up, Rei. They said so before I even got here. Do you understand?"

He was speaking to her like a parent would to an indolent child, and, as if she had reverted back to her five-year old self, she shook her head vigorously in denial. Tyki sighed wearily, his hands sliding to her shoulders firmly.

"Rei. They're going to do the autopsy—"

"_Don't say that word_!" she shrieked abruptly. "Don't you dare, don't you _dare_ say words like that—I—"

She found her breath coming short, her body shaking violently from the pain and consciousness. Sobs overwhelmed her breaths and she collapsed completely against Tyki, gripping his shirt in one hand and hitting him with the little energy she had left in her.

"I did it," she cried, "I don't know…why…it's my fault…I _killed_…" Tyki's hold around her tightened at this word, but he said nothing and only continued to hold her faithfully. The entire hall remained silent, Cross, Kanda, even Lavi, who did nothing but look at her with a vacant expression that had supplanted his anger as tears streamed endlessly from his one visible eye.

They remained that way, trapped in that floating chasm of grief, incarcerated by a stagnant present that forced them to be incapable of moving forward or going backward. All was quiet, save for the whirring breaths of the beeping monitors surrounding them, clear indicators of who was alive, who wasn't, and who wanted to be.

* * *

Long hours passed, agonizing hours of silence that threatened to asphyxiate them if it continued. But none of them could find words to say precisely because there were no words to address the situation.

They congregated in Rei's room in quiet assembly, just four of them. Lavi was nowhere to be seen, but no one bothered to have the discourtesy of finding him. It was clear that he wanted to be alone, that none of them could offer him any words of consolation because even though they all needed the consolation, any attempt to help Lavi with his grief would be hypocritical and cruel.

Tyki had considered leaving Rei alone after he had helped her back into her room, for she had immediately turned away from him and curled up amidst the white sheets of the hospital bed, her back facing him, her profile immersed by the blanket that she drew over her head. The body language was clear enough to read, and Tyki did not attempt to force conversation out of her. He would have left her alone if Kanda and Cross had not followed; the two men sat down on the sofas lining the walls, neither of them saying a word. Though Tyki sincerely wanted them to leave, he could not bring himself to kick them out, not when Kanda was looking at Rei with genuine anxiety that betrayed his normal stoic nature. Despite any rift that might've occurred between the two of them, the accident seemed to unnaturally bring any understanding with it. Tyki was not about to trespass on those boundaries…especially when Kate's death, so unexpected, so startling, was still looming like a fresh wound.

The door slid open and all the men turned to look at the newcomer. Only Rei did not stir at the sound.

A nurse stood at the doorway, looking at the group of them apologetically with a syringe in one hand and a clear plastic bag full of liquid in the other.

"It's time to refill the pain medication," she explained in Portuguese. "She'll start feeling the full effects of her pain momentarily if we don't administer it."

Tyki nodded understandingly but said nothing else. The nurse lowered her gaze nervously and approached the bed. She was just about to attach the new bag to the IV when she stopped abruptly.

"Miss!" she said, stunned. "Why aren't you connected to the IV?"

Rei merely shuffled in her bed and turned the other way, away from the nurse, facing Tyki instead. Her face was pale and her eyes vacant; it was as if she hadn't heard the nurse at all, much less understood her.

"She got up earlier," responded Tyki in Rei's place. "She must've yanked them out then. You can administer it now—I'll let her know."

"Could you ask her to extend her arm out then?" said the nurse crossly, clearly offended with the violation of protocol.

"Rei," said Tyki gently, "the nurse needs your arm—"

"Tell her that I don't need it," interrupted Rei.

"It's morphine, Rei."

"I said that I don't need it," she reiterated coldly.

"Rei—"

"Tell her to get the fuck out."

Tyki felt anger tinge his rationality and he beckoned for the nurse to prepare the syringe.

"You'd better forget the IV," he said to her in Portuguese. "She'll yank it out the moment you stick it in—I'm assuming the syringe is something a bit more immediate?"

"Yes, but it'll wear off sooner as well—"

"Doesn't matter," he cut off. "I'm going to grab her arm and hold her down—you just do whatever you need to do."

"But—"

"And then you'll leave, because you're agitating her," said Tyki coolly.

The nurse looked furious at this, but Tyki ignored her glare.

"Rei," he said.

She ignored him.

"Relax for a bit," he said.

Rei's gaze shifted to his suspiciously, but before she could voice anything, Tyki grabbed her shoulder and wrist and pressed her against the bed. Rei gasped in pain and she writhed reflexively, struggling against Tyki's vice-like grip. He simply tightened his hold though, allowing the nurse to sanitize the crease of Rei's arm and inject the contents of the syringe amidst Rei's labored breaths and mild obscenities.

"Thanks," said Tyki, nodding to the nurse in dismissal. He let go of Rei only when the door had closed, leaving them back in that vacuum of noiselessness, density, suspension. He could feel Kanda's eyes probing, watching, but it seemed that in respect of the common ground that they'd both established, the Japanese male did not voice any concerns over Tyki's rough handling. It was clear that the morphine had a consensual approval, whether Rei wanted it or not.

"Are you feeling better?" asked Tyki.

Rei did not answer but instead turned back around, letting her back face Tyki. He sighed and sat back down in his chair, running a hand through his hair.

"I know you didn't want it, Rei…" he said, exhausted, "but I don't want you to be in any unnecessary pain."

"…I need it," she replied after a long pause. "If there's no pain…I'll just convince myself that it's all a dream…that it's not real…and I can't forget that it's real…because it's my fault."

"Rei, it wasn't—"

"Don't bother."

"Stop being such a bitch," said Kanda harshly. "No one here is blaming you, so if you're looking for some consolation, you're talking to the wrong people."

"Kanda," said Cross warningly.

"What?" retorted Kanda. "We're supposed to just sit here and listen to her own self-pity and sulking? Grow up, woman."

Rei sat up and whirled around, her green eyes glaring amidst the tears that were still sliding slowly down her cheeks.

"Did I say anything that you disagree with?" said Kanda silkily.

"You—"

"You're going to tell me that you like the way you are now?" he said relentlessly. "You think being a crying little girl is going to help you in any way? It's going to make us feel bad for you? You don't need our pity—stop acting like you do."

"I—"

"Grow up. She's dead—your crying isn't going to bring her back."

"That's enough," said Tyki sharply. "I get the point you're trying to make, but you're going a bit far."

"I haven't said anything that Rei disagrees with," he shot back. "Tell her yourself—she needs to snap out of her stupid little self-pity phase."

"Get out," said Rei quietly.

"Not enough?" said Kanda.

"I said get out," she repeated.

"If you're still—"

"_What do you know_?" she shrieked. "What do you know, Kanda Yuu, that you think you can empathize? You think you can just tell me to get over it, to forget that _I killed Kate_? Shut your mouth—you're going to say that it's not my fault but you know that it was, you think it was, every fucking person in this room knows that it was my fault and there's no fucking point in you trying to say it wasn't! And you know what's worse, Kanda? It's that I didn't even _think_ about her when I woke up, Kanda, I didn't even guess that she died even though she was in the front with me because I was too fucking worried that you were the one who'd died!"

Her words were still ringing in the ensuing silence; she was panting, having exhausted any energy that the pent-up frustration had lent her.

"Don't act like it's something I'm trying to get your pity for," she said softly. "I don't need it, Kanda. I don't want to feel pitied, I don't want to feel cared for—all I want to feel, Kanda, is pain and guilt, because they're the only things that are making me feel alive right now."

No one answered her. Kanda's expression was a clear distortion between twisted and attempted impassive; he was sitting so rigidly that he was shaking, but he did not reply and merely averted his gaze elsewhere. Rei's eyes lingered on him for a long while, to the point where Tyki intervened.

"Rei," he said quietly, "please lie back down."

Her gaze turned to him, and her mixed expression cleared to one of mere apathy.

"Get me out of here," she said, her tone serene but implying demand.

"…You want to leave the hospital?" he said. "It's…I don't know if it's safe, Rei. You need to be treated."

"Treat me somewhere else. It's just morphine, and I can deal with the pain. Just get me out of here."

"Rei—"

"I don't want to feel every nurse's eyes judging me the moment they walk in," she said. "Get me out."

Tyki looked at her intently, all of a sudden finding the girl he once found so easy to read incomprehensible. He brought a hand up to her face, a familiar gesture for the both of them, but Rei's bandaged arm met his halfway and pushed it back to down.

"I don't need your compassion," she said coldly. "Just get me out of here."

* * *

A week passed, a week of relocation to the suite hidden behind the restaurant that Benedito ran. The two of them—Rei and Tyki—stayed there, isolated from the world—no television, no phones, no contact with the public. Benedito brought them food, clothes, even medicine that Tyki could've sworn he'd stolen from the hospital. But no matter what both he and Benedito did to divert Rei's attention to something else—stories, music, old family pictures—it was clear that Rei was withdrawing from them and closing herself off. It made Tyki panicky—he didn't know how to get her back, to pull her from that numbing suspension of time into reality. She was aloof, cold, even, as if the last bit of her passion had been spent yelling at Kanda and telling him that he was the first person he thought of when she'd woken up from near-death.

He couldn't help sense disconnect between the two of them, as if there had been some break of trust, as if he had betrayed her in some way and was never going to be forgiven for it. But he didn't know how he'd betrayed her—given the turn of events, he hadn't even been able to properly explain why he had avoided her calls for so long, couldn't even tell her that he was glad to see her. He wanted to tell her that he thought she'd gotten more beautiful in their time apart, wanted to tell her that he had legitimately missed her, that he wasn't comfortable with the fact that Kanda was the first person she'd thought of instead of him…

But he didn't say anything, out of respect, out of care. He was patient, dealing with Rei's cold behavior, forcing her to eat when she refused, trying to egg her out of that shell she was withdrawing into. And no matter how much she tugged away from him, he grabbed her, brought her back, kept her alive.

The isolation couldn't last though. Tyki was beginning to grow restless—no matter how much it seemed like time stopped in their haven, other things had to be addressed—the funeral, the press, and, when everything truly died down, the reasons behind the crash itself. He could not bring himself to leave Rei alone for long though—it always seemed like she would do something drastic, or she would withdraw and never come back.

It was mid-evening when the door to their suite opened, and Tyki, who had been reading a book, looked up to find Benedito enter the room. Rei was curled up in bed and silent, her favorite pastime as of late, and did not respond when the door opened. It was hard to tell if she was asleep or not, but regardless, Tyki brought a finger up to his lips and gestured that they would speak outside.

"What is it?" Tyki asked after shutting the door carefully behind him.

"Someone is here to see you."

"I thought I made it clear to the world that we wouldn't see anyone," grimaced Tyki. "If it's one of the family—"

"Miss Lulubell has respected your wishes very well, sir."

"Then who is it?"

"Lavi Bookman."

Tyki started at the name, to which Benedito nodded understandingly.

"I thought you'd want to see him. I escorted him up to the private lounge on the fourth floor."

"I see. Did he come alone?"

Benedito nodded again.

"I'll go talk to him then," said Tyki. "You don't have to stay in the room the entire time, but once in a while, peer in to check that Rei's not doing anything stupid, all right?"

"I do not think she'd hurt herself, sir."

"I don't either…but it's just in case."

"Very well. You should hurry—I'm not sure if Mr. Bookman is in a rush."

Tyki left with a quiet "Thanks" and headed up the stairs to the bar that was closed off to the public. The lounge was a large one with a view overlooking the city; today, with the sun molding into the warm hues of the sky as it set, the room was inundated with a melancholy red shower that seemed superficially friendly. The right corner of the room was occupied by an elegant bar table, behind which stood a bartender who, despite the clear awkward atmosphere, looked perfectly serene as his job dictated him to be. At the end of the long bar was Lavi, dressed impeccably in a starched black collared shirt and dress pants. The scratch under his bandaged eye had healed; had Tyki not known the circumstances, meeting up with Lavi Bookman would've been the equivalent to a social meeting on a typical Friday night.

Lavi looked up at the sound of his entrance, and the Brit inclined his head in greeting.

"It's been a while," remarked Tyki as he slid into the seat next to Lavi.

"Give or take," he replied.

"…How have you been?" questioned Tyki cautiously.

Lavi smirked. "Better and worse. You?"

"…Likewise."

"…And Rei?"

Tyki scoffed and beckoned for the bartender to come forward.

"Whiskey-based drink, sir?"

"Yeah, but fiddle with the ratio—the normal doesn't do much for me. And get the same for him."

"Certainly."

"She's been that bad, eh?" said Lavi wryly.

"You can't imagine," said Tyki.

"…How has she been? What…what has she been doing?"

"Nothing," said Tyki simply. "Absolutely nothing. She has withdrawn into that little space in the back of her head, far away from reality. She refuses to be talked to, coaxed out of her shell—it's driving me insane—she won't talk, she won't let me help her. But I suppose my plight is besides the point…how have you…" Tyki cleared his throat. "How have you been?"

Lavi looked straight ahead of him unseeingly for a few seconds, nodding vacantly to the bartender once he brought the drinks. "I feel like I'm dreaming all the time. Like I'm walking in some suspension of hell and reality. No matter how much I rationalize it out to myself…it doesn't make sense to me. Why it had to happen…why now…"

Lavi stopped speaking. Tyki wisely did not intrude.

"The family is in town," said Lavi. "I came here to tell you about the funeral arrangements. Tomorrow at three."

Tyki nodded. "If they would prefer not to see us—"

"They want Rei to come," said Lavi. He then scoffed. "You know, all that talk about me being one of the most empathizing people, calm, consistent, rational? Ridiculous. When I heard the news, I snapped—I couldn't get the obsessive thought that it had been Rei's fault out of my head. Kate's parents though…" Lavi shook his head. "Incredible. Not once did they even seem to think about that, they asked if Rei was all right, how she was doing…Anja, she's younger than me, and she was beautifully controlled…ha. It makes me wonder what I'm doing with myself."

"Bookman, that's—"

"Don't try," said Lavi wryly. "I know what I did. What I am….how I'm like. I…I came today to pass on the message about…about the funeral but I also…I came to see Rei. To…apologize." He looked at Tyki anxiously. "Would that be all right?"

Tyki didn't answer for a few minutes.

"I don't think you should," said Tyki finally.

Lavi's eyes hardened. "Why?"

"I don't think you're ready," responded Tyki. "I…I can tell that you don't believe what you say. As controlled as you are now, how are you going to react when you see her in person? What if what you want to tell her doesn't come out, and you say something else? I can't risk it, Bookman. I feel like she's right at the edge—one push will make her fall away completely."

"But what if what I say pulls her back? What if…" Lavi swallowed. "What if I'm the person who pushed her to that edge? Wouldn't it make more sense if I could pull her back?"

"Believe me, I don't think you're the entire reason she's at the edge of the precipice," said Tyki ruefully. "If anything, she's going to have to pull herself back—that, or Kanda's going to have to do something."

"…Kanda?"

"Mm," said Tyki, unwilling to elaborate. "Speaking of which, how's he doing? And all the others? They don't know we're here, do they?"

"If they did, I'm sure Kanda would've come," said Lavi. "He's been…anxious. He doesn't know if he should be feeling bad about Kate or feel bad about Rei, or feel bad for even feeling bad about Rei instead of Kate."

"…The hell?"

"It made more sense when I was thinking about it, all right?" said Lavi with the barest trace of a smirk. "He wants to see Rei though."

"Go figure."

"It's not just him, Mikk. They're all worried—Allen, Cross, Lenalee…"

"I know," said Tyki thinly. "I just don't want her to be overwhelmed. I want to know—what about Rei's father?"

"…Her dad? The Asian guy who hangs around your sister?"

"Yeah," said Tyki coolly. "I'm curious as to why he hasn't checked up on his own daughter."

"He has," said Lavi. "He's asked me—I couldn't give him an answer, of course, so he went to ask your valet for this place—Benedito."

"But he hasn't asked Rei in _person_."

"No, I think he's giving her space. I don't think she'd want to see him any more than she wants to see us, honestly."

"No, of course not," agreed Tyki. "Very well…"

"…I seriously can't see Rei?" said Lavi.

"…Unless you are one hundred percent sure that everything you say will be healing," said Tyki.

"…Fine," said Lavi, resigned. "I'll see you two at the funeral then. I…"

"I assume it'll be private?" said Tyki.

"Yeah. Small procession—turns out that Kate's closest friend was her work before she joined Cross's project," said Lavi. "I'm glad."

"No ex-boyfriends?" said Tyki in a weary attempt at a lighthearted comment.

"Not that I know of," the Brit replied, getting up to leave. "Besides, what could they do? I was the one getting married."

"True, true. You sure you don't want to stay around for a bit longer?"

"Nah, I came to do what I had to do," said Lavi. "Send Rei my regards."

"Mm, will do."

"I'll see you tomorrow then."

"…Yeah," said Tyki. "See you then."

Lavi gave him a nod and headed out the door, his footsteps clacking away against the hardwood floors. Tyki let out a sigh and waved the bartender over.

"Another one, sir?"

"Another two, maybe," he said tiredly.

He wasn't quite ready to go back to where Rei was. It seemed that he himself was reaching his limit, and that if the atmosphere continued for any longer, he would be suffocating right alongside her.

* * *

"Mr. Mikk cares for you a lot, you know," said Benedito anxiously, breaking Rei from her self-induced stupor.

She was not inclined to reply. She did not give a damn if Tyki cared.

A silence stretched on, and for some reason, it gave her a vindictive sort of pleasure to see Benedito squirm in that uncomfortable atmosphere she was so good at projecting now.

"Tell me, Benedito," she said, her voice startling Benedito so much that he nearly went sprawling, "where was Tyki over the course of the last month?"

Benedito frowned. "He's been many places."

"Specifically? Here, London, where else?"

"…No where else."

"Oh?" said Rei, sitting up in her bed and turning to face Benedito. "So he _was_ in London."

"Er…" Benedito seemed to have realized his mistake. "He was there for business."

Rei arched an eyebrow. "What business?"

"Perhaps you should ask him," said Benedito nervously.

It was so funny, all of a sudden, just how uncomfortable she could make people. Her logic was screwed up, but she couldn't help but be furious at Tyki, for his disappearance, for his refusal to tell her anything, for his overbearing demeanor and martyr-like attitude when it was so clear he wasn't to be trusted—if only he had told her what was going on, if only he had actually _been_ at the airport to pick them up, none of this would've happened, she wouldn't have driven, they wouldn't have crashed, Kate wouldn't be dead, she wouldn't be wallowing in this slump of a mental state.

"I won't," said Rei. "I can't trust him to give me the truth. What was he doing in London? Orders from his family?"

"Miss Rei, that's—"

"Truthfully, I just want to know one thing—was he there to kill someone?"

Benedito looked stunned. "Miss, that's—"

"Enough," said Tyki's voice from the doorway. "Leave, Benedito."

Benedito bowed and withdrew immediately, his expression clearly one of relief to escape from the tension that was slowly accumulating in the room. The door shut solidly, leaving Rei and Tyki alone.

"Finally crawl out of your shell?" said Tyki loftily. "What induced this miracle?"

"Your being gone," said Rei coldly.

"You seem so glad that I was," he answered with a close sneer. "You're not going to ask why?"

"I just assumed it was your family, considering how faithfully you follow their orders."

In the time that they had been holed up together, away from the world and everything sinister about it, Tyki had not touched her without need. The distance from the world had created a distance between them, and Rei had been slowly withdrawing away from him, creating that chasm as she burned the bridge that connected them while she walked away. No touch, no passion, no pain. That was all she needed.

Which was why when Tyki suddenly grabbed her, pushed her on the bed as he looked down at her, she felt dazed in the contact alone. When she had felt so cold for the last week, no matter how many blankets she'd piled on herself, Tyki's hands sliding unintentionally under the sleeves of her overlarge T-shirt seemed scorching hot. She cringed reflexively, caught off guard by just how easily that uncomfortable atmosphere could be turned against her, but Tyki held her firmly and forced their eyes to meet.

"What do you want from me, Rei?" he demanded. "What do you want me to do? I've been trying, I've been doing absolutely everything—why does it always feel like you're blaming me for something? One entire _week,_ Rei, you don't remotely _speak_ to me, but the moment I leave, you ask Benedito what I was doing in London! You couldn't ask me directly?"

"How could I ask?" she deadpanned. "You wouldn't have told me the truth."

The grip on her shoulders tightened and she winced.

"Oh, so you can at least feel pain," scoffed Tyki, "I was beginning to think that I was actually dating a robot."

"Let me go."

"No," he said chillingly. "I want to hear what you think I've done so wrong to warrant this _ridiculous _behavior. So tell me, Rei, what have I done to you? What do you think I've been doing while I didn't contact you? I've prepared myself for the worse, so it's fine, just spit it out."

"I think you've been trying to kill Kanda," she said without hesitation.

Tyki stared at her. His expression showed that it was clearly something he _hadn't_ prepared for, which meant that all her speculations were untrue, but she was too numb to think coherently, and her words just came out nonstop as if she were a machine wired to an outlet.

"Ferris wheel," she said, "why were you there? You said you were in Spain—what else were you in the amusement park for? One month without contact—why were you in London? Why weren't you there to pick us up at the airport? You were following us the entire time, weren't you? Trying to find an opening? But Kanda was never out in the open without me—you couldn't do it?"

"Shut up, Rei."

But she couldn't. She was at the breaking point, the point where everything she had been mulling over for the last week in silence and sorrow and desperation was finally pouring out of her mouth—she was certifiably insane, she was couldn't think straight anymore—everything in front of her just seemed to judge her, and she could not stand Tyki being there, empathizing, acting like something wasn't wrong, she wanted to hurt, to maim, maybe then she could feel something other than like she was drowning—she wanted a little pain, a little anger—

"Why, then? Did you want to get rid of Kanda that bad? Why? Because your family wanted to? Because there's something seriously fucked up with that family of yours, Tyki, what happened to my dad has probably already happened to you, I bet. Seduced by Lulu, dragged into royalty, then God knows what happened—"

"Shut up," he said again, and his time even she could see the danger that was creeping in his eyes, the fury that he had been trying so hard to contain finally reach a breaking point.

She smirked.

And he snapped.

"How could you even _think_ I would try and kill Kanda?" he shouted. "You really think I'm that petty? That I would risk something like that? Do you deem yourself important enough to me that I would actually go and kill someone who happens to be the biggest star in Asia?"

Rei said nothing.

"Everything I did was for you, Rei! I was in the amusement park killing the guy who was about to kill you!"

Rei's eyes flickered. Kill her?

"Surprised?" Tyki sneered. "Kill _you_, not kill Kanda. You're more wanted than he is right now, Rei, and everything I was doing was to protect _you_, to make sure that they wouldn't hurt _you_, I separated myself from you because I needed to remain in hiding so I could find them before they found you—I sacrificed time, energy, sleep, contact, so you would be safe, Rei, so you could be the one sleeping soundly while I worked! And you actually have the gall to think that _I_ was after _Kanda_? Who put that fucking idea in your head? Have you always been this stupid?"

"Yeah," she said absentmindedly, "I probably have."

Tyki just stared at her, his expression twisted and hard to look at. Rei stared blankly ahead of her, unaware that she'd started crying again, realizing that perhaps this reveling news was supposed to make an impact on her but it wasn't, that the numbness was just too strong for anything to faze.

He leaned his face close to hers, his cheek brushing hers as his lips stopped right by her ear, and when he spoke again, he whispered, as if the words he was saying were unwilling, as if he were afraid that if he said them aloud, something he had been suspecting would come true.

"Do you think," he said shakily, "that if I loved you this much, I would even _think_ about killing the man you actually love? If…if Kate dying turns you into this unfeeling machine, what would Kanda's death do to you? Do you think I'd want to inflict that on you? Do you…do you think I would put my own petty grievances and my family's petty arguments above your wellbeing? You think…I love you so little?"

Rei didn't have an answer. Tyki scoffed at her silence and leaned so close that his lips brushed her ear.

"I know you love Kanda, Rei. And I know I gave you that choice, which is why…why I won't stop you. But what I can't stand, Rei, is that you have the _audacity_ to believe…that I would willingly go out of my way to hurt you. If you could believe that, then…I don't see why we engaged in a relationship at all. Not when there's this little trust."

He got up, finally letting go of her shoulders and sliding off the bed. With the pressure of his hands gone, the blood crept back to circulate through her body and she found herself letting out a breath that she had been holding. The door opened and slammed shut. The room was silent.

Rei sat up, her deadened eyes scanning the room, unsure how to feel.

She was absolutely alone.

Something inside her snapped—this was like when she woke up from the hospital and still didn't know anything, back when ignorance was bliss but anxiety was terror.

Why was she like this? Why was she trying to blame Tyki for something that was ultimately her own fault, caused by her own carelessness? Why…why did she feel like she had broken the last bit of her that was still sane?

She stood up, and, uncaring of what she was wearing, she escaped the room, the prison of her own thoughts, bolting down the stairs, following the sound of Tyki's heavy footsteps as they exited the room, the stairwell, their lives intertwined.

It didn't matter who she loved anymore, because all of a sudden, love seemed just so petty, as if it had taken a little spot in the back of her mind where all garbage was accumulating—no, what she needed now was a lifeline, something to pull her back into reality, all she felt was desperation and drowning and she wanted resuscitation.

She entered the empty lounge on the second floor; Tyki and Benedito were the only ones there, and ignoring the valet completely, Rei grabbed Tyki by the collar and kissed him, fighting for the contact of her coldness and his warmth. She felt him resist, take a step back and push her away—he didn't want this, didn't want their relationship of no trust, but she didn't let him go, didn't want him to go away—

It seemed like forever, it seemed like he was going to push her away completely and leave her drowning, but he didn't—he grabbed her around the waist and slammed her down on a table, his lips dominating hers and every kiss was one step in the right direction—to an oblivion that was a _good_ oblivion, where she could forget everything except Tyki's passion that enamored her, that pulled her back from a cliff she was dangling at. His hands slid under the long T-shirt she'd been sleeping in, one gliding at her legs, the other, emboldened, slipping further up.

Somewhere far away, Benedito bowed and disappeared from the room.

But that was far away. This was reality. Passion. Feeling.

_Pull me back._

And he did.

* * *

**Free Talk**:

Hello! It's been a while. As always, I apologize for these waits...I try to make chapters longer now in return for the wait, so hopefully this will appease some of your appetites. :) I know the waits suck, haha.

For those of you who found Kate's death random and out-of-the-blue, I apologize. It has been something I've been planning for a long time, but given the huge gaps between chapters, it was harder for me to build up/foreshadow effectively for it. There is a purpose though, and I guarantee that her death will not go to waste in light of larger plot developments.

I always think I have so much more to say here, but I suppose not. Livejournal will be up later if you're willing to read it! Please be patient as I conclude my first year in college. (Finals, hooray!) Good luck to everyone else who is a student as well. :)

Thanks for reading and please review!  
xoxo,  
m.n


	42. Screenshot Moments

**Chapter 41: Screenshot Moments**

There was something wonderful about it—yielding. It was the concept she had been struggling with—not just over the last week, but for the many months that had passed since she had woken up alone in her home in Japan. Since she had found herself abandoned, she had to control her life—it was a matter of survival, of simply functioning. But with that control came responsibility, not just for herself but for the people around her, and slowly, it got to the point where being responsible for other people came before being responsible herself. She had begun to crumple under the pressure, from that precise control she'd wanted to have but couldn't hold on to.

So she was, in a sense, being liberated.

Liberated as Tyki's lips slid under chin and worked their way lower, as his hands touched her in ways that she would've been uncomfortable with before, but didn't even bother her now. It was that precise lack of control she was looking for—the lack of responsibility, the feeling of losing oneself in the void of lost consequence.

Tyki pushed her tightly down against the table, his breaths coming raggedly as he kissed her again, his hands constantly shifting to better support her and simultaneously to cover as much skin as they could. It was obvious that he was bordering the brink of lost self-control, that he was finally cracking after the week of being locked up together with pent-up frustrations, miscommunications, and definite sexual tension.

One of his hands slid down to her thigh and, almost hesitantly, slipped slowly downwards, stretching her leg out, then back up. He repeated the gesture in a tantalizing fashion, as if egging her on in some way, and the implications were not terribly subtle; what he wanted was clear and yet, he was hesitant enough to not force it. So it was Rei who obliged, who crossed her legs over his hips and straightened up, wrapping her arms around his neck as she kissed him back fervently. Tyki breathed in deeply, as if trying to hold himself back; Rei took advantage of the opportunity and slipped her tongue into his mouth, coaxing him out of his restraints because she could not keep up the lead in their intimacy much longer. She needed him to do whatever he was so used to doing just so she would not have to think about anything, or control anything, and just let herself be inundated by pure physical desire. Whether it was lust or love hardly mattered—she knew that if it wasn't Tyki, she wouldn't even dare to try and escape her predicaments, and if it wasn't Tyki, she would not feel just this _good_ escaping.

She heard him groan slightly against her lips and knew that he was weakening. Her hands darted to his neck and began to unfasten the buttons of his shirt; he stumbled back, traveling with her sitting on his arms, until he backed into a wall and had nowhere else to run. Rei continued to kiss him, and when it seemed he was going to lean away, she twisted her hand into his hair and forced him still, winding him as her tongue brushed against his. Her mouth unconsciously whispered his name as it touched his lips, her hands toyed with his hair, his neck, his chest, and yet, it was clear that Tyki was still having reservations—that her complete lack of self-control troubled him, as if it told him that something was amiss.

He let her down suddenly and switched their positions, so that she was the one backed against the wall and it was he who was abruptly in control, his hand having trapped her active ones above her head as the other slid up her chin and forced her to look at him. She was breathing harshly, struggling to regain the breaths that she had expended on him.

Tyki looked breathless, confused, even, but it was clear from his shaking hands that he was enticed, that it was taking every bit of self-control to stop.

He opened his mouth uncertainly.

"Are you…" he said huskily, then paused, as if unsure how to phrase it.

But she did not want the pause because it gave her conscience the opportunity to gain the upper hand; she was not positive that it was what she wanted. All she did know, though, was that it had felt good, and that she didn't want to stop.

So she nodded vigorously, leaning towards Tyki's face so that her lips hovered over his, so that their warm breaths mingled as she snapped her wrists out of his grasp and curled her fingers in his hair. Tyki let out something crossed between a groan and a sigh as his arms, now firmly and without hesitation, picked her up by the hips and settled her thighs against his waist. He moved slowly across the room, his destination unclear to her as she moved backward, her head sometimes bumping unceremoniously into the dangling lanterns from the ceiling. Undeterred, she held on to Tyki's neck like letting go would cost her her life, and their lips never parted, their breaths aligned as they seemed to gasp for air at the same time and spend it simultaneously.

They stumbled up the stairs, Tyki slowing his stride to ensure that Rei was leaning fully against his chest as they ascended the stairwell. She could hear her name be whispered by her ear in those brief moments where Tyki would break apart a kiss and nuzzle her neck instead, nipping at the skin under her ear and sometimes at her lobe. His heartbeat was nearly tangential under her palms that were spread against his bare chest, the rhythmic thumping that was much faster than she remembered it to be, and it thrilled her slightly to see that he was just as aroused as she was.

They somehow made it to the suite, and then to the bed, where Tyki laid her down and promptly crawled over her, his hands placed above her shoulders as he paused just to look at her. It was as if he wasn't sure where to start, as if this entire scenario were completely foreign to him, and Rei nearly smiled at his abrupt shyness. She brought her hand up to his face, cupping it between her smooth palms.

"It's fine," she said, her voice coming out raspier than she would've liked. "Just…just do what you normally do…it's fine."

"It can't be normal," he said quietly, leaning his head against hers. "I…it's your first time…I don't think I've slept with a…"

"Virgin?" she finished, the shallow bouts of amusement lining her tone.

He looked uncomfortable, but nodded. "I just don't want it to…hurt that bad."

The last few words came out in a rush, and he himself seemed inexperienced, as if he had never been considerate for his partner before.

It made want to smile, but her lips wouldn't quite turn the right way. "I'll be fine, Tyki."

He stared at her, his golden eyes looking slightly reluctant but his hands indicating otherwise. They slid up from her hips, sneaking under her shirt and rubbing against the skin of her stomach, her ribcage, before sliding under and toying with her bra strap to unclasp it. His lips had found hers again, and as the numbness began to find her mind, she found that she no longer cared about anything, no longer thought about anything. Her eyes closed, her head blanked, her heartbeat escalated.

Escape.

* * *

If there was such thing as a true bipolar woman, it was Rei. The transition from where the two of them had stood over the course of the last week to where they were now—on the bed, limbs entangled, discarded clothes on the floor—could not have been more drastic. Tyki found himself just moving, not thinking, his body hungering to enact what he had been lacking for so long. There was something thrilling about it all, about undressing Rei and sliding his hands where they pleased. The conclusion that he had arrived at before, that Rei was in love with Kanda, seemed to be insignificant now, for _he _was the one with Rei now. It was _his_ name that Rei was whispering, _his_ belt that she was unbuckling, _his_ face that she was stroking. He was the one with his girl in his arms.

Months of celibacy made hearing her quiet moans all the more exciting. He grappled with control, with retaining a sense of levelheadedness but it was impossible, not when she would whimper slightly with every sensitive caress, would literally breathe his name. Her skin, her hair, her scent, her voice, they were all intoxicating.

He was gentle—he tried, at least. Rei's surprised gasps of pleasure and pain were not missed, as was her tightening grip on his shoulders when he was accidentally rougher than he aimed to be, when he slipped back into his normal habits during sex before remembering that the girl in front of him was different, that he actually cared for this girl. He was hindered, in a way, when he reminded himself to be gentler than he was used to, to watch his actions and ensure that he was not hurting her unnecessarily.

Regardless, though, it was exhilarating. Pleasurable in ways that he had not experienced before, because this time, his own heart was beating like it was going to explode, because he was not just listening to his own name being called but actually saying Rei's name under his breath as well, kissing her, loving her, it was different, it was exhilarating.

And so when he finally fell onto his side, avoiding collapsing onto Rei under him, he found himself exhausted but ultimately content, his arm immediately garlanding her shoulders and pulling her body close to his. Rei was panting, sweating, her eyes flitting closed to give her the sleep that she clearly had deprived herself of for so long. They laid there, side by side, Rei's eyes closed as she simply focused on breathing while Tyki's combed her profile hungrily, letting the silence that was so atypically comfortable stretch on.

"Rei," he said, his own breath still coming short.

Her eyes fluttered open to meet his gaze.

"I…"

He realized he didn't have anything substantial to say. He just remained staring at her, his mouth open, dumbness having seized him like a love-stricken idiot.

Rei smiled briefly, wearily, as her chest rose and deflated, her breaths stabilizing.

"You look stupid," she murmured, snuggling close to his chest. "Sleep."

He grinned and pecked her on the cheek.

She was his.

* * *

The morning light streaked into the room, one thin line that found its destination on the left side of the bed. Rei was still lying in bed, her green eyes fixated on that narrow beam that emphasized her solitude, both on the bed and in the room. Tyki's presence lingered in the imprinted mattress, the carelessly-tossed blankets, the faint scent of the Dolce and Gabbana cologne.

She sat up, growing aware that she was naked and somewhat embarrassed by it. She ran a hand through her hair. What had been meant to be a temporary reprieve from the dense miasma of guilt and sorrow had turned into something otherwise; she was not given asylum from Kate's lingering death—no, far from it—but perhaps Tyki had given her something impacting enough to think about it a little more clearly…and perhaps the ability to find a way to move forward. To find Lavi. Kate's parents. Anja. To apologize. As if the intimacy she'd felt the night before was some sort of forgiveness, and even though she knew that Tyki hadn't blamed her for the accident to begin with, it was maybe a step in the right direction…for her to forgive—no, she couldn't forgive herself. But it was perhaps enough for her to step out of her stupor…and move on in the right direction to recovery and apology.

She could only hope. She did not feel so different.

Rei climbed out of bed and headed to the bathroom. She showered, lathering herself in the soap suds and taking her time under the steaming water as she contemplated.

She didn't know if Lavi would be willing to see her. No matter how composed he was when she saw him next, Rei knew that some part of him wouldn't forgive her, and truth be told, a good part of herself couldn't either. She had replayed the entire scenario countless times in her mind, but still couldn't understand why she'd lost control of the car. Was it the acceleration? Had she hit something in the road that she should have seen, something that catalyzed the car to spiral into the side of the highway? Was it the rain, the pressure to drive away from the paparazzi…or was it just her carelessness? Her lack of responsibility?

She turned off the water after one final rinse and wiped her face hastily, not willing to determine whether or not the droplets on her cheeks were from the showerhead or her own tears. She could not return to that crying mess—one that could not move forward or backward and was simply trapped in those stupid thoughts about Tyki just so that she could feel something towards him, that Tyki was out to kill Kanda—

Kanda.

Oh, God, what to do about him.

She still didn't know. She could not deny that it was he who she had been so worried about the moment she'd woken up, nor could she deny that no matter how much she convinced herself, some part of her was still attracted to him—

Just _why_ was she such an indecisive person—_clearly_ Tyki was—

She slipped on a bathrobe, shaking her head vigorously all the while. Too many things to think about, and Kanda was supposed to be the least of her priorities. She needed to focus.

Rei slapped her cheeks, jarring her attention to her reflection in the mirror. Her palms squashed her face so that her mouth looked like a goldfish's. The abrasions from the crash were still evident against her skin, but the raw redness had faded into a dull brown; regardless, they served their purpose as a visual reminder of reality.

She couldn't avoid everything and everyone for any longer. And no matter how much she wanted to stay in this suite forever, with just Tyki…to forget would be a disgrace, and unfair to those who were suffering much more than she was…Rei gritted her teeth. What was wrong with her? Why did she still feel like crying?

The door slid open, and Rei turned to see Tyki lean against the doorway, his expression perplexed.

"Just what in the world are you doing, mutilating your beautiful face like that?" he said, almost scandalized.

Rei dropped her hands, letting her cheeks fall to their normal places.

"Where did you go?" she asked.

"I went out to get a few things," he replied, striding over to her and wrapping an arm around her waist. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm…I'm fine," she said. "Did you go out, out, as in—"

She was cut off as Tyki kissed her gently, his hand pressing her lower spine so that her back reflexively curved as she returned the kiss. Only when she felt Tyki fiddling with the belt that tied her bathrobe closed did Rei pull away, her expression skeptical and condescending.

"What?" he smirked. "You certainly didn't mind last night."

Rei shook her head and pushed him away from her, but he caught her wrist and slipped something into it. It was a small white pill; she didn't need an explanation for it, but Tyki gave one anyway.

"Sorry," he said apologetically. "I wasn't exactly planning for last night, and…got a little…carried away, I suppose…didn't really take the protective measures…"

Rei merely looked at him appraisingly. Under her gaze, Tyki seemed to grow more shifty.

"Uh…it's…just a necessary precaution, you know…sorry," he said quickly. "I-I would take one too, except I'm not exactly sure if that'd do the greatest things for me and all—not saying that it'll do good things for you either, you'll probably feel nauseous and might get a headache and—"

"Jeez, have you always talked this much?" she sighed, swallowing the pill along with a gulp of sink water. "I get it—there's no need to explain."

Tyki still looked at her rather anxiously.

"Are you…are you all right?" he said. "I don't mean just, you know, from last night…I meant in general. About…about Kate."

"…I don't know," she said quietly. "I want to say…that maybe I'll be okay if I see Bookman or Kate's family right now…but…but I don't know, Tyki. I don't."

He squeezed her shoulder. "What if you were to see Kanda?"

Her expression betrayed her surprise, and Tyki went on to explain.

"Yesterday…Bookman came to see us—you, mainly."

Rei frowned. "Why didn't I see him?"

Tyki arched an eyebrow. "You really wanted him to see you like that?"

"…No, I suppose not."

"Precisely, so I didn't let him see you. He did tell me though…that the others have also been wanting to see you, and of them…Kanda. I don't think he actually knew where you were, which was why he hasn't been here, but I went out today just briefly and when I came back…he was with Benedito in the lobby. Just waiting."

"…For what?"

"For you, for me," shrugged Tyki, "I'm not sure. It was a tad awkward…nothing I wasn't used to, but the first words out of his mouth were asking if you were okay."

He stopped here to observe her facial response, but Rei gave none. She merely nodded.

"I hope you didn't tell him the truth."

"…That you were positively withering away? So what if I did?"

"I hope you didn't. He'd…he'd end up blaming himself," she said uncomfortably.

Tyki's face darkened. "And?"

"What's there for him to blame?"

"For—for heaven's sake, Rei, you don't think he should blame himself? He drove you into that corner—that cliff! Why shouldn't he feel bad?"

"He didn't do anything," she answered. "I don't want him feeling like he did anything at all—don't look like that, Tyki, I did most of it to myself."

"You think I'm just going to forgive him for actually thinking that I would really kill him—_and_ for planting that idiotic idea in your head?" retorted Tyki darkly.

"…I…never mind," she said. "You're right—you can be mad at him all you want. But I have no reason to be angry at Kanda, and if anything, I owe him at least a conversation. Is he still downstairs?"

"I told him you weren't up to it, and he left," said Tyki through gritted teeth.

Rei narrowed her eyes. "Who gave you that right?"

"Fuck, Rei," Tyki swore, letting her go and turning his gaze elsewhere to prevent his irritation from showing. "Did last night not mean anything to you at all? I thought that your decision—after all these months of prudishness—your decision to actually sleep with me showed some dedication—are you still wavering then? Was last night just for convenience's sake?"

"No, it wasn't," she replied, her tone coming out more calmly than she thought it would. "I…I wouldn't do that."

Tyki didn't seem completely convinced but only shook his head.

"You're…right, you wouldn't," he admitted. "But I thought that you would at least take into consideration how I would feel about this entire thing, Rei—I was sincerely ready to just come to terms with you loving Kanda—after last night, though, I'm not just going to…not going to let you go like that. I have that right, in the least."

Rei sighed and leaned forward, brushing a strand of hair from Tyki's face and tucking it behind his ear.

"Your hair's getting long," she said softly. "You should get it cut soon."

He took her hand and pressed it firmly against his cheek, his golden eyes combing her face searchingly. Tyki seemed to be having difficulty reading her face, and the constant scrutiny did not help her thoughts settle down. Rei always thought she had been rather bad at hiding her thoughts from Tyki, especially with his superior deduction skills; hence his bemused expression was new to her. Her completely off-topic statement did not seem to elucidate anything for him, and she could tell that he was disturbed by this sense of disconnect. Nevertheless, he turned the conversation to more serious matters.

"Kate's funeral is today," he said. "Tonight…it'll be private and closed. Everyone involved will most likely be there—Kanda included, if you wanted to speak to him. Are you…up for it?"

Rei stared straight at Tyki's collarbones.

"I don't know. Do you think I am?"

He gave her hand a placid squeeze.

"Sweet…you've always been much stronger than that."

* * *

Kanda hated gatherings of any sort. That included funerals.

They were in a small church, its interior decorated with lilies and irises wrapped in black ribbon. The entire scenario was morbid, the atmosphere overpowering, with a priest's voice carrying over the crowd in cold intonations as he enumerated the many qualities of Kate and lamented her early passing.

He didn't know what to do in these situations—the pressure to express some sort of grief or emotion was overwhelming when he was surrounded by people sobbing their eyes out. Lenalee was standing beside him, her eyes puffed and red from incessant crying. Allen had one arm around her, sometimes squeezing her shoulder comfortingly as scarce tears escaped his gray eyes. Cross and Lavi stood some feet away; both of their faces were dry, but Lavi seemed to be staring unseeingly into some future that proved to be intangible to all but himself. The picture of Kate that was draped on top of the coffin, one that Cross had supposedly provided because it had never been released before, was a completely natural one, surreptitiously taken. It was one of those pictures that exemplified precisely why Cross was a world-renowned photographer. Kate's hair was messily strewn over her face from the wind; her long fingers tangled with strands of hair to allow her expression to be seen. She was laughing, her face glowing despite the lack of makeup, as if invigorated by her ecstasy alone. Lavi's eyes were fixated on this picture blankly.

Kate's family were at the front of the procession, their backs turned away from the picture and towards the small audience instead; her parents were crying, but the sister was staring stonily ahead, her narrow face frozen in some sort of fierce determination to remain passive. Kanda had to admire her willpower.

His blue eyes shifted across the crowd to land on the two people who stood most rigidly across the room, faces that he had missed for the last week of stagnant chaos.

Tyki was shifting on his feet, his golden irises moving constantly as if he were purposely avoiding the crying scene in front of him. Occasionally he would glance over in Kanda's general direction, causing Kanda to look away hastily in order to avoid an awkward acknowledgement, before turning over to look at the girl beside him.

Rei was attired simply, her paleness contrasting with her black halter-top dress. She wore no makeup, no jewelry; her hair was tied up in a strict bun with her bangs pinned to the side, making her originally narrow face seem even gaunter than before. The new yet slightly faded cuts on her face, shoulders, and arms were noticeable, as were the old ones on her back that she did not seem to try to hide. Her eyes, unlike Tyki's, were fixated on Anja and her parents. No tears fell, but her gaze seemed to hold a stony resolution precisely not to cry that made her entire figure all the more less ordinary; never before had Kanda seen someone's back so unbending.

"Lenalee," whispered Allen. "I'm going to go…see Rei for a sec, all right?"

"Oh," said Lenalee, nodding and wiping her eyes, "I'll come with you…I-I want to talk to her as well, I hope she's all right—"

"I…I don't know, Lenalee, she's standing really…stiff," said Allen anxiously. "Maybe it's better if less of us approach…"

"Oh…all right then…"

Allen glanced over at Kanda. "Take care of Lenalee for a bit, could you?"

Kanda nodded curtly. Allen left them, his white hair gliding through the crowd stiltingly as he made his way over to Rei and Tyki. Lenalee touched Kanda's arm lightly, causing him to turn his attention to her. "…You all right?" he asked, noticing that fresh tears were leaking from her eyes.

"I…I don't know," she said shakily. "Are you?"

Kanda didn't answer. He was too focused on Lenalee's expression. Her eyes were just so abnormally large. She looked much too vulnerable for his liking.

"God, I'm so pathetic…" she mumbled, wiping her face only to pave the way for a new onslaught of tears. "I just keep crying and I feel like I'm the only one being this emotional—Lavi's not even crying and he probably feels a million times worse and I can't imagine what Rei feels like—and what if, what if something had happened to you, and I can't even remember the last time I actually talked to you nicely—"

Kanda brought an arm over Lenalee's shoulder, cutting her off as he hugged her to his chest.

"You've always talked too much when you cry," he said dryly. "If you need to cry, just shut up and do it."

Lenalee didn't respond verbally, but her petite figure began to shake even more and she hugged him back, her sobs slowly growing more audible. Kanda sighed and patted her back awkwardly, letting his chin rest easily on her head.

"It's okay," he muttered. "I'm fine."

* * *

So maybe it had been harder than she'd hoped, coming to the funeral.

She felt like she was walking in a dream. The words "I'm fine" dropped mechanically from her lips because she didn't know what else to say. Hugs came and went with whispers of encouragement. Even when Kate's parents were talking to her, their words seemed to go in one ear and out the other; their insistence that what had happened wasn't her fault, their inquiries of whether or not she was safe, how had her last week been, the hugs, platonic kisses…only meeting Lavi, who said nothing, inquired nothing but just hugged her, only that had seemed real, but once she'd moved past that, she had been swept back in that wave of nonsensical niceties.

She found herself wanting some peace, some alone time because she knew she was pushing herself backward again. Every second in the presence of these people made her want to recoil into that stagnant space she had just pulled out of.

So she excused herself, and despite Tyki's finger tracing queries, she left alone, escaping into the hallway outside the sanctuary. It was thankfully empty, but like the rest of the church, it came off as cold, with its lights doused, dimming the sky blue wallpaper and carpeting.

She exhaled, trying to relax the muscles in her back that had started to cramp up. Her entire body ached. It seemed that she had exerted herself a bit too much; perhaps she was not as well recovered as she'd thought.

She began her slow walk down the corridor, her stride surprisingly stable in heels. Twice she passed by windows, where she could glimpse the crowds of people who were waiting outside the human-gates surrounding the church. It seemed at least civil outside, with the policemen easily keeping the fans in order. Some had brought flowers, others, posters of Kate at her finest, and yet others, posters of encouragement.

Footsteps echoed behind hers after she'd stopped to stare at the scene outside the window. She assumed it was Tyki, so Kanda's cool voice startled her when he spoke.

"There's a lot of people outside."

Trust Kanda to always state the obvious in an attempt to pass off as normal when conditions did not allow him to be his usual sarcastic self. She suppressed the barest traces of a small smile and turned to face him.

"Yeah," she said simply. "There are."

She was relieved to see that there was no evidence of tears on his face. She could not quite imagine Kanda crying, no matter how hard she tried.

"…Are you okay?" he asked.

"…Yeah," she said again. "I think so."

"…Can…we talk?" he said.

"We are already."

He frowned almost naturally at her pointed tone. "I mean…" He cleared his throat, his blue eyes diverting elsewhere as he attempted not to tread upon the too thin lines dictating sensitivity. "I mean about…things."

"You mean about Kate, Kanda."

"…Yeah, I do. I just wanted to know…if you were ready to talk about her yet."

"I wouldn't be here if I weren't, Kanda."

He frowned deeper, as if her answers annoyed him but he didn't want to retort like he normally did.

"Fine. First…what I said in the hospital…I didn't mean." His eyes were firmly focused on her ear. "I shouldn't have said that."

She didn't answer.

"I…I sometimes forget," he continued after an awkward pause. "I forget that you're…you're a girl too. I was with Lenalee just now, and I realized…you just don't seem as vulnerable. So all the things I say to you…I wouldn't say to Lenalee."

"That's not very fair," she interrupted.

Kanda surveyed her face. "I guess not. But that means I can't talk to her naturally either."

Again, she said nothing in response.

"All the same," he said, "I…I shouldn't have said what I said. If I was the one who drove you to…hole yourself up, to become…" He couldn't describe it, so he gesticulated with his hands in her general direction. "To become _this_—skinny and vulnerable and dying away…I…"

He stopped abruptly and stared in silence at her.

"Stop," he said, and his voice contained an emotion she could not quite pinpoint.

"Stop what?" she asked.

"Stop crying," he said, and that same emotion seemed more tangible now—panic, desperation, something else—

"Don't," he said, covering the distance between them easily and bringing his hands to her face. "Stop crying—you don't _cry_ like that, Matsumomo Rei, you just _don't_—"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Kanda," she said, knocking his hands away and wiping her own tears away. "Sorry, these crying spells just happen lately, I don't even notice that they do—"

"Stop!" he shouted. "Stop talking like that, acting like that—what's wrong with you? Who are you? Are you Rei? Why…why is there this sense that I—"

He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her tightly against his chest, his embrace so strong that it caught her off guard.

"Like I can't touch you," he whispered. "Like…like I can't even recognize you anymore. I…"

His arms trembled, but his fingers buried themselves in her hair, stressing her bun and pulling the strands loose. Never before had she seen Kanda like this. Not angry or annoyed. Almost…anguished.

He remained silent, his fingers just massaging her head. Every breath he exhaled seemed so slow, so painfully controlled like it took every bit of his energy to maintain each rhythmic sigh.

"Was it because I told you to speed up?" he said, and much to her surprise, he spoke in Japanese. "Was it because…I…could it all have changed had I chosen you in the hospital? Where would we be? Would you still be someone I could recognize? Still…Rei?"

It was suddenly as if a plastic bag were covering her mouth; she found herself gasping for breath, her shoulders trembling violently with the sobs that were now forcing their way through her chest, and all the silent tears that she never noticed before were somehow much more forgettable in the face of what she was feeling now—her heart convulsed wildly with every shaking inhalation and her fingers unconsciously wrapped buried themselves in his shoulders. She was full-on sobbing now, but it was so different from before, like those tears were actually liberating, like her self-constructed defenses were chipping away in the face of Kanda's own desperation to understand what had gone wrong, not just with Kate, but everything that had gone wrong between them as well.

Because it was so clear that the mistakes that each of them had made, each step that they'd taken farther and farther away from each other and created a rift that was insurmountable. That perhaps Rei was not the Rei who had walked into Kanda's office those many months ago to ask for a job, that perhaps both of them had lost out on _something_, something that would've detracted so much from where they were now. That perhaps they would've been happier with each other, perhaps the emotions felt between the two of them had been…had been right, despite how long they had felt so precisely wrong.

It had finally occurred, the realization that they'd both been fighting.

The long minutes passed, not without the fleeting fear of them being found in this situation, but they did not let go of each other despite it.

"Perhaps…perhaps things would be different," said Rei finally, her tears finally halted, and her voice also carried the soft lilt of her native language, rusty after lack of use. "Perhaps…perhaps we'd be happier. Perhaps I'd be happier. But…but that's just it. Perhaps. A word of possibilities…that between us, only remained possibilities, only will ever remain possibilities."

She pushed away from him lightly, stepping out of the embrace she found herself so comfortable in.

"It's true," she said. "It's true, maybe had you chosen me in that hospital, I…I would still be the Rei that you wanted. The Rei that wanted you. Your Rei."

Kanda's face was paradoxically twisted and smooth, his lips were curled in a pained grimace and a simultaneous snarl, but by some bizarre lighting, he way he looked at her was not unkindly.

"But you're right," she went on. "Like you always are. I'm not the same person. I'm someone who…who was driving the car that killed one of her best friends, who can't face the consequences that she's running from, someone who has a father she can't recognize anymore, someone who barely remembers what it's like to feel truly, truly happy, truly…truly at peace. And maybe…maybe you gave me some of that peace, Kanda, maybe in London. But…but this girl loves someone else, Kanda, someone who can't give her that peace no matter how hard he tries and maybe—maybe what I feel for Tyki isn't the same that I feel for you, Kanda, it's not as peaceful or happy but…it's something else entirely. And it's enough."

Again, Kanda's expression was one she could not pinpoint.

"I'm sorry, Kanda," she said so very, very quietly.

They stood in front of each other, frozen in time.

He grabbed her again, one arm encircling her waist, the other curling up her back as his hand tangled in her hair, his lips hovered over hers and she thought he was going to kiss her. Her eyes widened in surprise, glimpsing the sight of his face, and it carried an expression that made her want to start crying all over again, but he didn't kiss her, and just let her go, and just walked away, his stride calm, his hands balled into fists, but he walked, and she was alone.

* * *

"Where were you?" questioned Tyki as Rei slipped back to his side.

"Just in the hallway," she replied. Her eyes were wet. "Just for a breath of fresh air."

Tyki slid his arm around her shoulders and squeezed gently.

"You've been crying again," he said simply. "Why do you always go alone to cry? So stupid."

"I didn't go alone _to_ cry, it just happened," she said with traces of defiance. "I'll stop crying—it's getting ridiculous."

Before he could assure her that he didn't mind in the slightest, a figure appeared in front of them, causing them both to address him.

"…Otou-san," said Rei, stunned.

Eiji was dressed in funeral attire, his appearance grave and strict. Tyki looked uneasily at him, his grip tightening around Rei in preparation for a quick departure in case Eiji's presence was unwelcome.

"I thought I would find you here," said Eiji quietly. "After Mr. Mikk kindly locked you away, I thought I would take the first opportunity to…check on you."

"The gesture's appreciated," answered Rei. "I'm fine."

"…Rei. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I…you shouldn't have come," she said, visibly agitated. "Anyone here should be here for Kate—I don't need you to check in on me at her funeral."

"I've already expressed condolences to her parents. I thought I would find you before I left." Eiji looked sympathetic, if anything. "Would you…want to leave with me? Rely on me…because I know how you feel."

"You don't," said Rei shakily. "I was driving the car and I don't even know _why_ it crashed, and I can't remember if it was because I just sped up too quickly and lost control, or because I overestimated just how fast I could drive in the rain because I've been so out of practice, or—"

"Please stop," said Tyki firmly. "What are you going to do if this keeps up, Rei? Keep blaming yourself forever? You're not going to recover like this, you—"

"It wasn't your fault," interrupted Eiji. They turned their attention to him, and Tyki could see that he was deathly pale. "It wasn't your fault."

"…How do you know?" said Rei weakly.

"…I do," said Eiji steadfastly. "I'm your father…I know my daughter wouldn't be so careless. Something else caused it. Something beyond your control."

He stepped towards her, pulled her out of Tyki's hold, and embraced her. Despite how awkward he looked doing it, Eiji patted her tenderly on the back.

He said something else in Japanese, and even though Tyki didn't understand, it seemed enough to Rei, because she finally brought her hands up and hugged her father back, returning the embrace that she had denied him ever since the beginning.

* * *

The day after the funeral, the entire group gathered at Benedito's restaurant for afternoon snacks and dinner. The Schrodlich family was flying out of Lisbon in the late afternoon; Cross had told them that in the evening, he would meet with them to discuss the rest of the project.

The light streamed into the main dining hall with the kind of innocence that nature typically exhibits in its mocking manifestation. The atmosphere, an attempt at conviviality, at times became silent, when all superficial words and endeavors at normalcy fell through and each was left with her own thoughts. Regardless, they tried, and at this point, it seemed like efforts were really all that mattered. The light shifted in its color, from a warm golden glow to a tempestuous red, indicating the waning day.

"Please eat, Rei," said Jenna encouragingly. "The casserole looks lovely."

She herself had left her fork untouched.

"I'm fine," said Rei reassuringly. "I had something to eat before I came downstairs."

"Pray tell us what it was," said Anja dryly, biting into a tomato delicately. "A whiff of air? You look like you're about to wither away into nothingness. Eat something, would you?"

"Anja, your acidity is never appreciated," sighed her mother.

"I swear, I'm really not hungry," said Rei. "I…"

"I'll make sure she eats," said Tyki. "In the meantime, please help yourselves—would anyone want something else to drink?"

"I'll take some port wine," said Georg, observing the fine interiors of Benedito's restaurant. They were seated in the main dining hall, privately, with a full five-course meal set out in front of them. "Quite the place you have here, Mr. Mikk."

"Thank you," said Tyki mildly. "It's where we royalty like to hide away from the world."

"Without telling anyone else," said Kanda wryly.

"Precisely my point, Kanda. _Away from the world_."

"Stop it," said Cross when Kanda opened his mouth to retort. "I swear, the two of you completely ruined this collaboration…"

"Blame the girl who caused it," muttered Kanda.

"Kanda!" said Lenalee indignantly, glancing at Rei hastily.

"What? Now I can't even insult her? This is _normal_, Lenalee."

"Can't you at least be nicer?"

"Didn't we all agree to be _normal_?"

"You are so…"

"It's okay, Lenalee," interrupted Allen. "Ba-Kanda is just too socially awkward to communicate in any other effective way. You just have to come to terms with his complete ineptness."

"Beansprout, I swear I will kill you one day—"

"He actually means he'll worship me—"

"In your dreams—"

"That means in reality—see, it's like Opposite Day every day with Ba-Kanda—"

"I—"

"You guys are ridiculous," said Lavi. "Grow up, would you?"

"It must be hard," grinned Tyki. "Teens and their hormones."

"Speak for yourself, you're the most hormonal out of all of us," said Lavi with a slight roll of his eyes.

Tyki snuck a glance at Rei and raised his eyebrows suggestively. Rei frowned and looked the other way, knowing full well what Tyki was implying. She could not help her cheeks from burning at the thought of what they'd done and what would happen if the others found out—eternal mortification would be her only fate.

Even she was startled with just how normal everyone seemed to be. Kanda, especially. Rei had expected him to have treated her with the cold shoulder and sullenness, so his familiar jibes came as a pleasant surprise. Only when they met eyes and he looked away instantly did she know that he was struggling to keep up the façade of normalcy.

In so many ways, she found his silent consideration more touching than anything Tyki, in his suave disposition, could express more verbally. Her chest pinged, and she shook her head. Tyki was right—she could not keep doing this to herself. It was too much. Too endless.

"So, Mr. Marian, what are you planning to finish this project?" said Jenna, turning the conversation to more professional matters.

Cross took out a cigar, and without asking for anyone else's permission, lit it before speaking.

"I have two thirds of the showcase finished. The last arc that I had intended to do…I could leave it off…but there is one particular picture I want to use to encompass the entire thing. That is…only to the model's discretion."

Cross's answer had effectively answered nothing. Lavi effectively frowned and seemed to want to voice this unified opinion, but Benedito promptly entered and bowed.

"Sir, madame, the car is ready to take your family to the airport. Would you like me to give you the bottle of wine for your trip there?"

"That would be excellent," said Georg. "Dear, Anja, it seems that it's time for us to leave."

Jenna smiled affectionately at them.

"Thank you, then," she said sincerely. "Take care of yourselves. Lavi, we expect to see you soon."

"Certainly," the British model replied with a brief smile. "Have a safe trip."

"Mm," said Anja. "Well, take care, everyone. See you soon."

Further farewells were murmured, occasional pats on the backs, quiet mutters of encouragement and "see you's." The door closed behind them, and almost collectively, a sigh could be heard. It felt like it was easier to breathe.

"Thank God," said Lavi, surprisingly enough, as he rubbed his temples. "It couldn't get any stiffer than that…"

"They all looked like they were going to burst into tears any second," Cross agreed. "What was I supposed to say about the project anyway? It's not like they would've cared."

"A bit harsh, Marian," said Tyki lightly, "but true nevertheless. Why don't we continue the conversation though, except with a more receiving audience, and figure out what you're planning to do with us now that…everything's happened."

Cross didn't reply immediately, instead taking a few moments to himself to puff on his cigar, filling up the room with the heavy scent. Allen sat a few seats away from him and pulled a disgusted face, remedying himself immediately when Cross glanced over in his direction. Lenalee hid a smile behind her mouth.

"While a few of you were in London," said Cross finally, "I organized everything I wanted to display for the first two themes: physical intimacy and magnetic attraction. Needless to say, desperation was difficult to think of a way to portray, but I…got a few shots."

"You did?" said Tyki. "When? We never had the time for it."

Cross pursed his lips. "You'll all probably disapprove. I was taking pictures at the funeral."

The atmosphere stiffened, and unconsciously gazes were directed to Lavi, who smiled demurely but not without a hint of hardness.

"And? Were they good?"

"Truthfully…they were mediocre as a whole. That's by my standards, though. To the rest of the world, they'll be fabulous. And it'll be enough to garner enough praise for everyone involved in this project. Whether you deem that praise to be sincere and worthy of your time will be entirely up to you—ask me, and I will just say that they are bullshitting you." Cross paused and exhaled, the air growing smoky in front of him and hazing his face. His eyes grew more serious behind his strictly rectangular glasses as he spoke again.

"I will be brutally honest with you—this photo shoot was not what I expected from the best of this generation. As a whole, it was personally a disappointment. Maybe it was because you all had drama amidst yourselves, and the theme I wanted to capture was not genuinely possible to fake unless it was felt. Yes, there were a few shots here and there that I might regard as some of my best—otherwise, no. Despite the disappointment though, I am not going to continue this project. Of what I have, there is enough to make those who hired us—Chanel, Ralph Lauren, whatever—happy. I wanted to let you know that you all were not up to par, just so your heads wouldn't get inflated."

"That being said, it was a pleasure while it lasted," said Cross conclusively. "Consider our contract terminated, you all are free to go wherever you need to go, get hired by whoever you want to get hired by. The showcase for these photos will take place next month, in New York City. That's the last required event, but who knows if I'll even be there—everything else should be taken care of, and your pay will be transferred directly into your bank accounts by tomorrow night. Congratulations for surviving one of my projects."

No one spoke. There was something painfully artificial about the atmosphere.

"That's it?" said Allen bluntly.

"Half a year's worth of work, just…done?" added Tyki dubiously.

"We can leave now? Thank God, I'm on the next plane out," said Kanda with feverish relief.

"Not you, not yet," said Cross much to everyone's surprise. "I want a few words with you."

"What the hell for?"

"Just a few last minute things," was the cryptic answer.

Kanda, if anything, look wary.

"He's not going to eat you," said Lenalee chidingly. "Just talk to him later. As for me…" She stopped midway through her sentence, and it looked as if she were getting emotional. "It's been a really…really great time…thank you for letting me participate in this project." She gave a little bow in her seat. "I've learned so much, and am really humbled."

"Jeez, Lenalee," said Lavi, "what are you getting all formal for? It's not like we'll never see each other again—you make it sound like you're leaving tomorrow or something."

Lenalee winced.

"Wait, you are?"

"I got a call from my sponsor of a department store in China. They're on a tight schedule and want to release the newest catalog as soon as they can. They initially asked me to fly out earlier this week, but I asked for an extension so I could attend the funeral…and so I'm leaving tomorrow morning."

"Did everyone think they could just leave to go on separate projects while under contract with me?" scowled Cross.

"It's okay, I'm staying here," said Lavi brightly. "Gonna bum around Mikk's for a while."

"Says who?" frowned Tyki.

"Yeah, yeah, you want to spend quality time with your girlfriend, I get it. Too bad, I'm going to stay right upstairs. Benedito's got the room ready and everything."

"Rei, you're staying?" said Allen, surprised.

"I…I don't know," she said blankly, taken back by the sudden attention. "I haven't really thought about it."

"Of course you're staying," said Tyki, looking mortally offended by the notion that she could even think about leaving.

"I…"

She really hadn't thought about it. The ending to the project had come so abruptly, so suddenly that the idea of thinking about the future seemed bizarre to her. The issue she'd encountered in London—of what she was supposed to do, or more or less _could_ do—was thrown in her face again, but still, she had no answer.

Logic dictated that she stay in Portugal—Tyki was there, and so was her father. And yet…she missed Japan. The conversation with Kanda earlier had invigorated a desire to go home, back to the country she still found most comfortable. She had long lost the will to enact her desires though.

"I'll stay for a while here," she concluded. "I'll think about what I have to do after I talk with my dad about it…what will you being doing, Allen?"

"He's coming with me," said Cross confidently.

"And that would be where?" said Allen dryly.

"Probably back to Japan. What, you want to go to China with your dear Lenalee?"

Allen flushed. "That's—"

"Oh, right," said Kanda lightly, "I have to meet with Komui once I get back in Tokyo—I'm sure he'll enjoy hearing about a little bean sprout getting close to his dearest sister—"

"You're going to have to explain that you broke up with her first, _and_ made her cry—see if you survive that!"

"Lenalee won't let me die."

"I'll be in Shanghai," she remarked mildly, looking at her nails.

Kanda looked stunned with this betrayal while Allen positively gloated with malicious glee. Cross intervened before it grew out-of-hand.

"Enough, you two. Kanda, a word. If I don't see the rest of you idiots for a while—Godspeed."

Cross stood up and Kanda followed suit, if not reluctantly. He met Rei's gaze for a lingered moment. "Che, later," he said generally, following Cross's larger profile out the door.

"Wow, look at them go. So cool," said Lavi. "So _fine_." He stretched the last word out in an accented, feminine manner that made the remaining people cringe.

"Don't do that," shuddered Allen. "I think something's gone wrong with your head, Lavi." The white-haired apprentice stood up and stretched.

"Have you gotten taller, Allen?" commented Rei curiously.

"I think so!" said Allen excitedly. "I'm like…170 centimeters now!"

"Wow," said Tyki. "What an accomplishment."

"Shut it, Mikk," he flared. "Rei, if I don't see you for a while—wait, you're just staying around right? I'll definitely drop by before I go wherever Shishou's going—you won't go randomly somewhere without telling me, right?" he inquired anxiously.

"No, I don't think so," said Rei. "We'll meet up later this week, that sound good?"

"Yeah, I'll call," grinned Allen. "All right, I'm out. Later!"

"And then there were three," sighed Lavi as the door closed behind Allen as well. "It's a bit sad, if you ask me."

"I hope Kanda's plane crashes," remarked Tyki casually. Rei sent him a disapproving glare, causing him to add hastily, "Just kidding, just kidding."

"Well, I'm going to go chill in my room a bit," said Lavi. "It's a good thing I'm above you all—I'll hear less of any sex romp you two might have going on—"

"Bookman!"

"Just kidding, I know, an eternal life of celibacy is already promised to Mikk," said Lavi, standing up to leave.

"Actually…" Tyki started to say, but Rei kicked him spasmodically under the table, cutting short his sentence. Nevertheless, Lavi got the message and stared.

"Wait. No? You guys…_whoa_. No way."

"No," said Rei, furiously blushing.

"Yes," said Tyki, still wincing.

"_How was it?_" exclaimed Lavi, his grin stretching ear to ear.

"Eh," shrugged Tyki.

"Excuse me?" said Rei, horrified at his average response.

"Well, I mean, it was your first time, so I had to be careful and I'm usually not…it's okay," he added brightly, "tonight will be much better."

"Who the _hell_ said you were even _touching_ me tonight?"

"Wait, honey—"

"Sleep on the floor."

"Rei—"

_"Floor_."

Things were slowly turning back to normal.

* * *

"So. What do you want to talk about," deadpanned Kanda as the two of them slid into a corner booth of a nearby café. They were trying not to attract attention; with Kanda's painfully Oriental features and Cross's vibrant hair-color, it was difficult not to. In light of the recent tragedies though, the two of them were only subjected to ogling gazes and occasional pointed fingers. No one approached except for a waiter, who seemed oblivious to their celebrity statuses and treated them with the same indifferent courtesy that he treated others.

"I wanted to talk to you specifically about this project and what you've gained from it—rather, what you think you've gained," replied Cross after ordering a coffee out of sheer politeness. Kanda ordered nothing.

"…What would the correct answer be?" said Kanda sarcastically.

"That you've learned nothing much, except that you let your personal emotions interfere with work far too often, and that the emotion of love is something, for you, that is unable to be properly harnessed and exploited at beck and call."

"Great," said Kanda. "Thanks for that—I'm on my way out now, completely enlightened."

"Truthfully speaking," said Cross, paying no heed to Kanda's sardonic responses, "I wanted to see the most improvement out of you from this project. You were the least experienced, the least versatile—I was hoping to see a greater range from you at the end. Sadly, it wasn't the result I wanted, and the pictures I got of you and Lenalee were mediocre at best."

"Charming," said Kanda flatly, thought he was doing his best not to retaliate more angrily to the uncomfortable reproach.

"It could have been the theme," said Cross, noting his clouded expression. "Love…I don't believe in it. This undying passion that all those philosophers and authors-on-crack spend so much talking about—it's all bullshit, all a combination of wild hormones and ill intent. What I was trying to find on camera was a purer form of that emotion, or conglomeration of emotions, but…but perhaps it's just completely intangible. An emotion that evades understanding, cannot even be encapsulated on camera. That was what I was beginning to think throughout the photo shoot—despite the good moments I found, some in the physical intimacy, others in the magnetic attraction…I thought that perhaps I couldn't actually find anything I could use. Anything that could truly, truly encompass what I was searching for. That being said…I wanted primarily to talk to you about this."

He tossed a manila folder on the table. Kanda suspiciously reached out and flipped it open. A single glossy, stiff sheet fell from its holdings, and he picked it up, his eyes widening at what he saw.

It was a single shot, a beautiful, perfect shot. It was him, and Rei. And both their expressions were…

"That," said Cross quietly, "is desperation at its finest, most beautiful form. If I had not gotten this shot of you two, I would've made you all stay until I got one picture that was on the level of this one. Believe me when I say this, Kanda: this single, solitary picture is the best one I've ever taken."

"…This was private," he said harshly. "This was…you had no right, watching us—this was a moment that I…"

He could not complete his sentence, too absorbed studying the photo. Though neither of them were crying, their faces could've easily been adorned in tears. He hadn't thought that his face was capable of contorting in such a way…he looked agonized, looked…looked desperate. And she…she was suffering. Despairing. Given the position of where they had been, slated near a window with its white light impaling the hallway, they looked frozen on the spot, frozen in their own world…and as Kanda thought back to it, they were. That hug had lasted much longer than they should've let it last, and the near-kiss…the precise act of _not_ kissing her was what had jutted him out of their self-imposed constraints. But the moment that Cross's camera had captured—by a combination of luck and skill—it was _their _moment. Even if Cross had been watching them, he did not _understand_. Because that was _their_ moment, _their_ suspension in time…their experience of invisible tears.

"Maybe I wasn't supposed to be watching," admitted Cross softly, "but I don't regret walking by that hallway at that time. This is what I was talking about earlier, Kanda—that this picture can encompass everything I wanted to express in the third arc. And, by your consent, I want to publish this photo in the photoshoot."

"Why bother even asking," Kanda all but snarled, "if you've been doing all this without our consent in the first place?"

"It's clear that I've already interrupted a moment I wasn't supposed to," said Cross. "It's only common courtesy to ask you if you wanted the entire world to interrupt it as well."

"…Why didn't you ask Rei?"

"…I think I know what her answer would've been to start."

Kanda scoffed, unable to tear his eyes away from the picture grasped in his hand.

"No," he said, convicted. "I don't want it released. It's…no. Just no."

Cross didn't look disappointed; he merely nodded.

"All right then. Keep that photo—I've got the digital copy. I won't release it then—I'll just showcase yours and Lenalee's."

Cross stood up and clapped Kanda on the shoulder.

"Take this as advice from the world's best photographer who has been studying all of you for the last six months—Rei has something special with Mikk. It's a fact. But I've realized that your limits to a model are where they stand now—if you remain alone. With Rei on camera beside you though…it's a completely different story. And perhaps there's something between you two as well, something that, if you two ever come together, I'd like to catch onscreen."

With that, he left the café, one tall profile slipping out of the glass café doors, ringing the bells that signified the exit of a customer. The waiter came by and placed the coffee down on the table, looking Cross's empty seat with some bemusement before shrugging and attending to some other table. The bustling of the café only intensified as additional parties filed in, bring an influx of cheer with them, but all this was lost on Kanda, who, mesmerized with that single sheet of paper in his hand, had slipped back into the moment that he found he could only grasp at its barest wisps.

* * *

**Free Talk:**

Hello everyone! I hope it wasn't terribly long of a wait. This chapter was much more difficult to write than I'd hoped for, and I think it came out much less impactive than I wanted as well. Regardless, I hope you enjoy it. There were some parts I didn't enjoy writing-the slightly filler ones, notably-and others that I really found both easy and enjoyable to write. Truthfully, these were the parts with Kanda. And though I feel like I may have stretched his character to the limits here, I really did enjoy him in this chapter.

I will probably update LJ tomorrow and will hopefully remember everything I wanted to say about this chapter. There should be quite a bit, if you're interested! For a brief note to the general populace though: this fic has one last arc that will probably span a good few more chapters. Next chapter will conclude this arc, and then we're onto the finale...

Someone brought up the idea of reopening the poll now that the fic is starting into its somewhat-final stages. I thought it'd be fun, just to see if the results have changed any, so I will open that poll up and will leave it open until the end of this fic. :)

Okey dokes, sorry for the long free talk! Thanks for everyone who reviewed last chapter, and please review again!

xoxo,

m.n


	43. I Love You, Goodbye

**Chapter 42: I Love You, Goodbye.**

* * *

_Let us play a game  
to see who breaks under it  
truth or dare, you first._

_Call truth, call dare, but  
you can't call nothing because  
the ending's the same:_

_I'm sorry, but this  
is the only truth I have:  
I love you, goodbye._

* * *

"Are you really going to make me sleep on the floor?" said Tyki as the two of them returned to their room. "I didn't mean to let it slip—but honestly, what's the harm?"

"Why is it that you _never_ seem to understand the eternal mortification I'm subjected to when something like this happens?"

"Because that mortification is self-imposed, and you really shouldn't make such a big deal out of it," he replied innocently. With a gentle push, she fell on the bed and he climbed over her, smirking.

"Oh, emboldened, are you?" she said coolly, making movement to escape from underneath him. "Too bad. Sleep on the floor."

"Come on, Rei," he groaned, grabbing her wrist and dragging her back down onto the mattress. "I even went out and bought condoms and birth control pills—"

"Is that seriously _all that's in your head_?"

"At the moment, yes," he answered seriously. "I don't think you realize, Rei, how very _thrilled_ I am that we had sex. It's like a…" He stopped his sentence, as if he couldn't find the proper words to express his exhilaration. Instead, he kissed her briefly before grinning coyly like a child.

"It's a victory for you, isn't it?" she said wryly.

"It sounds a bit crass when you put it that way, but…yeah, it is. It's more than that though. I…" he shrugged. "It's amazing."

Rei frowned at him as she loosely draped her arms over his neck.

"…Don't birth control pills not work for the first week?" she asked.

Tyki's eyes lit up. "Hence, I bought additional forms of contraception."

"Won't I bloat up if I take the pills?"

"We can work all that additional weight off in bed," he said pleasantly.

"God, you're crazy," she scowled, letting go of him.

"I am not, I can guarantee you that every guy thinks about this on a five-minute basis."

"I doubt it," she said with a roll of her eyes. "I'm going to take a shower."

"And then?" said Tyki with slight bouts of eagerness.

"Go pray for a miracle."

* * *

Somehow, in the time span Rei had taken to shower, Tyki had doused the lights and lit candles in their room. Music was also playing, accompanied by the slight scents of roses and its floral cousins. His efforts were not unrewarded because Rei relented with hardly any additional persuasion, and much to Tyki's delight, she was as responsive in bed as he had hoped for despite her condescending attitude from before.

He carried her to the balcony afterward, their bodies entangled and masked by their sheets, with her head laying comfortably at the base of his neck as they looked over the streets of Lisbon. Due to the turmoil that had lasted for so long, ever since they'd arrived in Portugal, Tyki had thought that he would never feel as at peace as he did now. His fingers lightly padded slowly up and down her sides, making patterns on the skin that was now not as smooth as it used to be. Regardless, there was something wonderingly beautiful about her that he hadn't noticed before. It was perhaps not the right kind of beautiful, or even the healthy kind of beautiful. The vibrancy that used to enliven her face had been replaced by a kind of somber gauntness. Likewise, it was a matured kind of beauty, as if she had stepped out of her teenage years not gracefully as she would've liked, but as if she had been dragged out of her youth unwillingly, yanked and pulled, and then brought to a stop. Her eyes, though on him when they conversed, were prone to suddenly glazing over as she stared unseeingly in front of her, as if she were lost into some space that, only when gently prodded, would she come out of.

Such were Rei's eyes as she looked over Lisbon, her expression blank, her breaths soft and even. Tyki watched her quietly, memorizing the arches of her high cheekbones, the dip in her almost sunken cheeks, the red and swollen lips from the accidentally-too-forceful kisses.

"Rei," he said gently.

She didn't look at him. "Mm?"

"What are you thinking about?"

"…I'm thinking about what happened yesterday."

"With what?"

"With Kanda."

For some reason, the response did not surprise him. Long had he surmised that when Rei had left alone, Kanda had followed, for the two of them were gone from the sanctuary for an almost equivalent amount of time. But the fact that Rei had returned to _him_ meant that she had chosen him, and so Tyki had not pressed the issue, letting Rei come to terms with it herself. It nevertheless relieved him to hear her bring up the topic.

"…What happened?"

"We…said some things that made us sad," she said simply. "Things that made us wish for something else. But I told him…that I was sorry. And so we parted."

"You're being incredibly vague, Rei."

"I know," she responded. "And I'm sorry for it. But what happened…I don't know…it almost seems like we both agreed that it's something that should just stay between us two. Because there's some things…that only we can understand about each other."

"I suppose I have to live with that?" said Tyki with traces of bitterness.

"…Sorry," she said quietly.

He let out a sigh and kissed her on the cheek. She turned to meet his lips, her eyes closing as they remained by themselves on the balcony, their kisses first hesitant and then slowly growing deeper.

Sometimes it seemed like Rei was so close but could evaporate at any minute. Tyki had thought that he had fixed that sense of disappearance, that he was the one who had brought her back from that cliff.

But he could not bring himself to ask if the man who had cornered her was the one to have rescued her as well.

* * *

"I'm brunching with Bookman," said Tyki as he pulled on his shirt. "You sure you'll be fine by yourself?"

"I should really meet up with Allen," sighed Rei as she climbed over the pillows to get her phone. "I don't know when he'll be leaving…"

"You should hang out with him more," he remarked.

"Why?"

"Because I know you two don't have anything going on, and it always makes me feel better," said Tyki innocuously. "Walker is head over heels for Miss Lee, and you're, well, I'm just sure after sleeping with me, Allen Walker must be a downgrade."

"You are so sadly full of yourself," Rei said.

"What?" he said, leaning down and kissing her on the cheek. "It's true. I'm off, love. Don't we seem like a married couple?"

"A bit early for that," she commented mildly. "Have fun."

"You too, then."

He flashed a brief smile before disappearing from the room. Rei let out a breath and ran a hand through her hair, standing up as she scrolled through her list of contacts. She hit Allen's name and brought the phone to her ear as she slipped into the bathroom to wash up. The two of them had woken up late, Tyki to a soft curse under his breath for forgetting that Lavi had wanted to meet up for brunch. She could tell that Tyki, so adamant that Lavi was _not_ his "stupid best friend—where the hell did you get that idea," was still perfectly willing to join him for some male-male bonding time. Perhaps it was because Tyki knew that no matter how good of an actor Lavi was, he needed the distractions, and out of professional courtesy was willing to be that distraction. Or perhaps it was just because the two of them were much closer than they were willing to admit.

Allen picked up on the third ring.

"Hey, Rei," he said cheerily. "What's up?"

"Hey, I was just wondering if you wanted to meet up for breakfast, lunch, whatever meal it is for you," she said, collapsing the phone between her shoulder and her cheek as she reached for her toothbrush. "You free?"

"Er, sorry," was the response, "Lenalee's leaving for China in a few hours so I promised to meet up—"

"Oh, yeah…it's fine, she'd naturally come first."

"Don't say it like that!" said Allen, sounding hurt. "You're important too, I just planned with her ahead of time—"

"I didn't mean anything, Allen," Rei chuckled. "It's fine, we'll reschedule for sometime else. Tell her good luck and goodbye from me."

"Will do, will do. I'll talk to you later then?"

"Mm, see you."

She hung up and resumed her wash-up. As she debated whether or not to apply makeup, she heard a knock on the suite door and went to answer. It was Benedito, who bowed slightly at her presence.

"Hi," Rei said. "Tyki left with Bookman just now—I think they're going to go get something to eat."

"I was actually looking for you," replied Benedito. "I received a call from Miss Lulubell—she'd like to see you."

"…Me?" said Rei, surprised. "Is she here?"

"No, she'd like to see you at the mansion."

Rei frowned. "Is there…something going on?"

"I am not entirely sure, but I do not think she has ill intentions. You see, she has been very considerate of both you and Mr. Mikk as of the last few days, and has strictly ordered for none of the family to bother you. She says she has been wanting to see you for the last few days, but, given the circumstances, deemed it prudent to wait."

The overwhelming politeness that Lulubell exhibited was atypical and almost unsettling, but Rei's curiosity was piqued enough to accept the invitation.

"I'll go, then. When does she want me there?"

"She says…she will send the car when the time is right."

"I…see," said Rei dubiously. "I don't believe I'll be going anywhere today…so just let me know when she wants me over there."

"Certainly." The bell from downstairs rang, indicating that their was a visitor. "Would you like me to bring breakfast up here, Miss Rei?"

"It's fine, I'll eat some cereal downstairs. I wonder who it is?"

The two of them descended the stairs into the lobby, where, much to her surprise, Kanda stood, impeccably dressed in casual clothing. His eyes flickered upon seeing her.

"Kanda," she greeted. "I…uh…what are you doing here?"

"Wanted to talk," he said curtly, his tone one that made her insides cringe. Hadn't they talked enough? They'd exhausted their arguments to the point where she didn't know how else to phrase things anymore—regardless, there were just some things they owed to each other, and listening was one of them.

"Sure. I'm about to eat breakfast…do you want anything?" she asked.

He arched an eyebrow, an act she was familiar with as the subject of his frequent condescension. "It's eleven thirty."

"I…just woke up," she said guiltily, making her way into the dining room.

Benedito had somehow gone ahead of her and had prepared everything for her breakfast—after setting a cup of steaming black tea for Kanda, he bowed and retreated from the room. The two of them sat down across from each other, and an awkward silence settled.

Kanda's long fingers curled around his mug, testing the glass for heat and evaluation. His blue eyes glanced all around the room, as if she were the last thing he wanted look at, but finally settled on her.

"Where's Mikk?"

"He's out with Bookman. They're brunching together."

"Convenient," he scoffed. "I wanted to talk with you alone anyway."

"Of course," she muttered, pouring the milk into her bowl. "What's up?"

"This," he said, tossing a folder onto the table.

She frowned and picked it up.

"What is…" she began, her words falling short as she opened the folder to reveal its contents. One single sheet of paper laid against the manila background, a picture, one that had the effect of cutting all thoughts off in her brain. It sucked her in, the picture, it was hypnotizing and addictive, transporting her to a separate time and space that she was not sure she wanted to go to. Her arms prickled into gooseflesh as she sat deathly still, her face bloodless, her mouth dry.

Rei could not keep looking at it—she could feel her eyes prickling and her heart constricting the longer she subjected the photo to her burning gaze. She snapped the folder shut, trying to breathe evenly as she fixated her eyes on the cereal she now had no desire to eat.

"Well?" said Kanda, his smooth voice breaking the silence.

"This…who took it?" she demanded, her tone surprisingly snappish.

"Marian. We didn't notice he was there…but he got it. Said it was the best photo he'd ever taken in his life."

"It was personal," she said shakily, still unable to meet Kanda's gaze. "He had no right to be there, no right to take that picture—that moment was…"

"Something he can't understand," finished Kanda calmly for her, "despite him appreciating it. I think it's…interesting for us to see it though. Perhaps puts our situation in perspective."

He spoke with the apathy of one who attempted to appear not to care but failed. It seemed that the impact of the picture on him had not been little, and he was merely masking the initial shock.

"What," she said coldly. "You want it to change something? What do you want?"

"…I believe that you belong…" he started, but paused. When he spoke again, it was with renewed assurance and direction. "I want you to come back to Japan with me."

"…What?" she said, dumb with shock. "You're kidding. I already told you already, Kanda, I'm…I'm sorry. I've made a choice that…I'm staying. With Tyki."

"…That picture," said Kanda quietly, his slender fingers still tapping the rims of the cup, "encompasses everything about us that should have happened." He seemed to want to add something, but refrained with difficulty.

Rei bit her lip, out of frustration and annoyance. Seeing that she was refusing to say anything, Kanda picked up the conversation.

"You want to return to Japan," he continued. "What do you have here? What can you do? Japan's your home. Mine as well. It's natural."

"You make it sound like I can't live without you," she lashed out, and her voice was biting and bitter.

His eyes narrowed at her tone and he finally met her gaze head-on.

"In this world," she said coldly, "there is no such thing as a _soulmate_. I'm not entitled to stay with you forever. I admitted before, and I will admit now, Kanda, that we made a mistake not choosing to be with each other. That I would be happy with you, maybe happier than I am now, but that's a choice we both made and—"

"Who said it was a choice we both made?" he challenged. "It was a one-sided decision, Rei, y_ours_ and yours alone—"

"It was not. I don't have the time for this, Kanda," she snapped. "No time, no energy. You're shoving this in my face when I've _concluded_, Kanda, that I am staying with Tyki. I will stay with him, because I owe him many, many things, and that includes his happiness."

"Not yours?"

"Who said I wasn't happy?" she retorted coolly.

"Why are you so adamant to stay with him? It's not like you've given something indispensable, not like your relationship is so far along that you've promised to grant him eternal happiness. That's fucking marriage. You guys haven't even slept together."

Rei thought she could keep her face impassive but the comment came so abruptly that she knew she winced. She recovered as quickly as she could, but Kanda caught it regardless. His jaw tightened noticeably and his eyes flashed with a threat she wanted to cringe away from.

"I see," he said thinly.

A terrible silence ensued. She could see the thoughts flashing through his eyes, and it suddenly occurred to her that Kanda was painfully easier to read than Tyki was, but it did not make his apparent thoughts any more pleasant.

"…How much of a difference does it make to you?" she said quietly.

"As much as it did to you before you caved," he snarled. "Look how much you've fucking changed—you wouldn't have even _thought_ about it six months ago."

She barely bit back a hiss and managed to control herself. This was not how it was supposed to go—if things were going to end, she wanted it to be graceful, peaceful…normal.

She hated how things always ended with Kanda. They had their moments, the times where it seemed like they were the only ones who could understand each other, as if the world contained nothing but themselves. Such was their moment captured by Cross—untouchable, undeniable. Other times, though, most of the time it seemed, it was as if there as an insuperable mountain between the two, a chasm that they were both too prideful to bridge, and it only resulted in a frustration that bordered dislike. Rei could never understand why it seemed that the two of them could never find a middle ground—a _friendship_ that seemed possible with others but never with Kanda. And as desperately as she wanted to find it, she knew that Kanda would never relent because he was always like that, on one end of the spectrum or the other. His world was black or white. Unable to compromise.

"I won't go back to Japan," said Rei steadfastly. "Not with you. Not with anyone. You say that I don't have anything here…but I have nothing back in Japan either. At least…at least Tyki's here…and my dad."

"God," he said, and though his tone was still frustrated, she could detect the bouts of resignation. "I just don't get it. Never has it been this hard…never has something that I wanted been so fucking far from me."

Rei let the silence settle, deeming it appropriate to allow Kanda to have a few seconds to his own thoughts. She watched his fingers, beautiful hands he had, for them to release his mug before speaking again.

"It's sad, isn't it?" she said softly, picking up her own cup of tea. "What's happened between us…when you go back to Japan, you'll probably never talk to me again. When we see each other at the showcase in a month, you'll ignore me, won't you?"

"Probably," he said in cold pride.

"…I don't want that," she said honestly. "I…I like you, rude and brutal though you are. And if I could keep a friendship with you, I would. But you're not like that. You're much too proud…and I'm…I'm not going to force you to fake things when it's just going to end up hurting you instead. I know what you're thinking." She smiled bitterly. "It's primarily my fault, isn't it? I blame you for not choosing me in the hospital, but the time that's elapsed since then…the choices…they were mine, weren't they?"

He didn't respond, his eyes only cold and hardened.

"All the same…Tyki needs me in a way you could never, Kanda. And I love him in a way entirely different. I'm selfish, I know it. I want things sometimes so badly that I don't care who I hurt in the process, no matter how conscious I am of the damage done. But I want what Tyki gives me…and it's unexplainable. All-consuming. And so…and so I suppose all I can say is that I'm sorry. That's all I could've ever done," she laughed shakily. "And that's just it."

All these conversations just resulted in her self-loathing. Kanda seemed disturbed with her change in tone, for his eyes had softened ever so slightly, though his jaw was still rigid as if it had been carved out of marble. Another silence infiltrated the room, stealing over them in that sneaky way that made them avert their gazes elsewhere.

"That's it, then," he said softly. "The end of our chapter."

He stood up and plucked the folder out of her hand. It was clear that he didn't want to stand another second in her presence, that if it was going to be over, it'd best end on his terms. Rei had long given up the power struggle against him and let him be the one to retain pride.

"I have to go," he said coolly.

"Ah…right," she said, realizing that there was no need for her to try and make him stay. They were past that stage of attempted friendship. "When…are you leaving? For Japan, I mean."

"Tonight," replied Kanda brusquely. "At eight."

"I see."

He nodded curtly and made his way towards the door. It was strange. Was that it? Was that how they were going to part?

It was so…

So sad. Painful. And…simultaneously, anticlimactic.

"Wait," she said, standing up as well.

Kanda paused and half-turned around.

"What is it?"

"I'll come send you off," she said. "To say…goodbye."

He looked like he wanted to say no, to reject it so that they could leave it as is. That he already knew the ending to their story, and did not want to relive it. But, as it always was between them, every moment had to be lengthened, and the reluctance disappeared from his face as he turned away from her.

"Fine. See you then."

The door closed behind him, leaving Rei, standing alone. She did not know why she had told him she'd see him off.

But to close him off, in such a way, after everything happened…

Their goodbye seemed to be worth more than just that.

* * *

The afternoon grew late when Tyki finally stumbled back in the room, swearing profusely, his eyebrows furrowed. He looked like he was in a terrible mood. Rei, who had been reading, looked up at his entrance in surprise. Never had she seen him so angry, save for the time Cyril had nearly killed her and Kanda with his silly antics.

"Tyki?" she said, setting aside her book and approaching him. "Are you all right?"

"Fucking pricks," he muttered under his breath. He apparently had not heard her, or even noticed that she was in the room. "Don't even know what's going on—jumping to fucking stupid conclusions when they don't even know what really happened—_no one does_, fuck, she doesn't even drink—"

"Tyki?" said Rei uncertainly.

"Paparazzi always ruins everything—"

"Tyki!" she said again, her voice elevated to a near shout.

He snapped out of his solitary rant and turned to her, his expression indicating that he'd only just noticed her.

"Is everything all right?" she said anxiously, reaching forward and touching the crease between his eyebrows.

His face relaxed to his touch and he sighed, taking her hand into his.

"Sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to ignore you. I'm just…"

"Did the paparazzi ruin your bonding time with Bookman?" she said, trying to make him ease up a bit.

"A little more than that, dear," he said quietly, leaning down and letting his lips brush her cheek. "I'm fine, don't worry about it."

"You didn't sound fine," she said dubiously. "What happened?"

"Nothing," he said. "They just interrupted our lunch with questions and it was all very rude, and completely inconsiderate to Bookman at that…but onto happier things. What do you think of this?"

Tyki reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. He opened it in front of her, his eyes softer as he looked down at her and waited for her reaction to the gift.

It was a ring, much to her surprise—she had been expecting earrings, some form of déjà vu with Kanda. It was a thin silver band with three small stones barely protruding from its surface: a square diamond cut surrounded by two emeralds. For Tyki's usual lavishness, it held a startlingly simplicity that she appreciated.

"It's beautiful," she said quietly.

"Don't worry," he said, grinning in that almost wolfish manner of his at her hesitance. "I'm not proposing to you—even I think it's a bit early for that. It's just a gift…I haven't given you a sincere one, not even for your birthday."

"You mean the emerald set in the beginning wasn't sincere?" she said lightly as she watched Tyki slide the cool band onto her index finger.

"Of course it was…not…"

"It's fine, I've long come to terms with the fact that presents are always accompanied with ulterior motives—"

"I swear I don't have any this time—"

"Thank you," she said, cutting him off with a swift kiss.

He settled his hands at her hips as he deepened the kiss, his warmth contagious. He brushed his tongue against her lips, softly, teasingly, before entering her mouth with a sly intrusiveness that caused her to shiver. His fingers began to toy with the edge of her shirt before sliding under it, lightly and suggestively, before finally arriving at the clasp of her bra.

"Don't you think you move a little too fast lately?" she breathed against his lips.

"I think it's perfectly paced," he smirked in reply, his fingers fumbling to undo it. "Besides, you're not really protesting."

His other hand began to slide under the front of her shirt. He suddenly pushed her against the wall and began to kiss her more fervently as his hands busied themselves; one knee forced its way between her legs and trapped her in place. She moaned unconsciously, causing him to chuckle breathlessly, and he was just about to take off her shirt completely when the door burst open, carrying with it a loud, mid-sentence tirade.

"—taking so much _time_, Mikk, I thought we had to go fix this scandal—DUI's sorta not a small thing, you know, and Rei's underage and—whoa guys—"

"Shit," said Tyki under his breath, hastily clipping Rei's bra back in place and pulling her shirt down. "Bookman, would you _knock—_"

"Sorry, mate," he grinned, "didn't know she was in here. Looks like I interrupted a pretty hot moment at that—my bad."

"What did you say?" said Rei breathlessly, grasping for a more scandalous conversation topic than the one she and Tyki were found compromised in. "What DUI? Who?"

She saw Tyki shoot a warning glance at Lavi.

"It's nothing," he said easily. "Don't worry about it. I'm going to go out with Bookman for a little while—hopefully we won't be hounded by the reporters this time—"

He turned to leave, but Rei grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back.

"This is why you were so angry when you came in," she said, understanding finally dawning on her. "You say…the paparazzi think I was drunk-driving when the car crashed?"

"Well…" Tyki glanced at Lavi helplessly, "yes, something along those lines."

Rei's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, 'something along those lines?'"

"They…they think you had an ulterior motive, Rei," said Tyki. "They're insinuating that…it's all bullshit, don't worry about it—"

"Insinuating _what_?" demanded Rei.

"That you were jealous of Kate for her popularity and therefore slightly, er, wacko when you were drunk and therefore slightly suicidal," answered Lavi.

It took a few seconds to sink in. "_What_?"

"I told you, it was all rubbish," said Tyki. "Bookman and I were just going to go to the hospital and ask them to release the records so it's proven that you weren't drunk—I mean, you _weren't_ drinking, were you?" he added worriedly.

"No, I wasn't. I only drove because I was the only sober person there—I didn't expect _this _to be the claim, I thought it was something about me not having a license—"

"Those are easily faked," said Tyki with a slight wave of his hand. "DUI's a little trickier, but you don't even drink so I don't really see the problem. So that's where we're off to now—I'm just going to shower first so I look a bit more presentable in front of the authorities—"

"I'll come with you—"

"No," said Tyki firmly. "They're a pack of mad dogs out there, Rei. There's fans, reporters, people in general are just being vicious and saying rather nasty things—I'd rather you stay in for a while to recover, wait until you're strong enough to deal with it before going out in public."

"So…I just wait?" she said feebly. "That's it?"

It was pathetic. She hadn't anticipated for the public reaction—of _course_ there was going to be retaliation, with Kate's popularity and her fame. Rei's heart pained, causing her to wince. She still had no answers. She hadn't been drunk, surely, but what _had_ caused the accident? Was she going to be content with just believing that it was what it was? Coincidence?

"It's fine, Rei," said Lavi from the doorway. "It's better if you stay inside—there's really nothing much more we can do, and it's a problem that's easily fixed."

"Rumors die down after a while," said Tyki, kissing her on the forehead. "Believe me, I know. Give me ten minutes, Bookman, I'll be done quickly."

"You should be done by now," the redhead muttered in disdain.

"My bad, my bad." Tyki disappeared into the bathroom with a change of clothes, leaving Lavi and Rei alone.

It was a scenario they had both been expecting—it was just a matter of time before it actually happened. Maybe that hug at the funeral had been enough, but the chances were slim. Rei waited, uncomfortably, unwillingly, as Lavi looked at her, the joking light in his eyes replaced by a dull sobriety.

"Relax," said Lavi with a smile that didn't quite succeed. "I'm not going to eat you."

Rei forced a smile in return, but the tension seemed to escalate all the more. She didn't know what to expect—she just knew that she was undoubtedly frightened to some degree.

"I don't blame you," said Lavi, "for what happened."

The statement was stale, artificial, mechanical. As if he had compelled himself to repeat it in his head over and over again to make that false thought a reality. She didn't believe him. He clearly didn't believe himself.

"I just want to know something," he continued, his tone casually conversational. "What exactly caused you to crash? Did you just…forget? Was it a careless mistake?"

The series of questions came as a surprise. When she thought about it, perhaps she should have expected it, but at the same time, perhaps she hadn't expected it precisely because Rei still didn't know the answer to those questions.

"I don't know," she said honestly.

"You can tell me, you know," said Lavi. "I'm not going to hate you for it. I know you weren't drinking, but were you just careless? Did you hit something in the road that you should've seen?"

She caught it in his tone. The accusation.

And instantly in Rei rose a defense, a weak and brittle defense but a defense nevertheless.

"What are you aiming for, Bookman?" she said, her tone steely.

His eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Are you expecting something? My…confession? That I really did hit something that I should've seen? That I know precisely why the car crashed and have been hiding the reason from you all this time?"

"You crashed for a reason," said Lavi coldly.

"And I don't know it."

"So I'm just supposed to accept that?" The way he said it made her skin prickle. "I'm just going to…going to accept that Kate died because of some freak accident, some sort of coincidence? This…this isn't something I can just be like, 'Okay, I get it' and move on. It's not that simple."

"I never said it was," she answered. "You're trying to find closure, Bookman, but you're looking in the wrong place."

"Then who am I supposed to find closure from?" said Lavi, his voice raised several notches higher. "I don't have anyone who will tell me the answers, Rei, because no one knows them other than yourself!"

"I don't know them either!" she cried, feeling a dreadful trepidation of where the conversation was going.

Her suspicions were confirmed. Lavi's face contorted at her exclamation and his voice grew to an anguished shout.

"_But you were the one driving—you were the one who caused her death!_"

Lavi looked quite deranged, and it became excruciatingly clear that behind his well-wrought mask of normalcy was still a great degree of hurt, confusion, pain beyond what the others had experienced. She had long known that Lavi would not forgive her, but to hear those words again, coming from him, made it the truth, made his blame real and just. Rei could feel the familiar sting in her eyes, the constriction in her throat, as she struggled to find a reply. She was reduced to merely shaking her head and repeating the only words that came to her aid, and pathetic ones they were: "I don't know, I don't know."

It was not a sufficient answer for Lavi. "_But why—_"

"Enough," said Tyki's voice behind her icily.

He approached them, his hair still dripping water onto his bare shoulders. He had evidently heard the raised voices and cut short his shower to find out what was going on. His lips were curled into a snarl, his eyes accusatory as he glared at Lavi.

"We had this conversation already, Bookman," said Tyki. "I thought you had yourself controlled."

"I deserve an answer," said Lavi harshly.

"And she doesn't have it," retorted Tyki in an awful superiority.

A silent tension followed, with Lavi clearly struggling to snap his mask back on, to return to his normal indifferent and affable self. The Brit turned away from both of them.

"I'll see you in the car, Mikk," was his farewell. The door closed lightly behind him, but he'd left the impact.

"Damn him," cursed Tyki under his breath, tossing his oxford over his shoulders. "He said he wouldn't breach it until you were fine."

"It's okay," muttered Rei, turning to the side. "He does have a right…he deserves an explanation."

"But not one you have to force out of yourself," said Tyki almost challengingly, reaching over and brushing her cheek. "Rei, listen to me. I don't care how normal we are with each other, but I can tell you're still pretending. You're not well. You're not fine. I know that—that's why I don't want you to come to the hospital with us, I don't want you to have to deal with the rumors, I don't even want you to deal with Bookman right now."

"He deserves an answer," she said pathetically.

"I don't care!" said Tyki almost angrily. "Rei, I don't care what everyone else wants from you, I don't care about their obligations or even _your_ obligations to them—all I care about is you right now, getting you back to normal, back to…" His fingers traced the arch of her cheekbone methodically as he stared at her intently, suddenly self-conscious of what he was saying.

She didn't know if she was looking at him hopefully, or encouragingly, but something about her expression must've made Tyki uncomfortable because he cut off his sentence and pulled her into a strong embrace, holding her still. It always struck her that Tyki was so much bigger than she was; his body enveloped hers, his warmth inundating, and she felt herself relax unconsciously in his arms. Sometimes the age disparity between the two didn't bother her. Four years was really not that much.

Other times, though, times like these, Tyki connoted a safety and comfort that she realized she could not find elsewhere. His assurances, declarations, voice, they all represented an impregnable defense against all external attacks. She felt little, miniscule, but ultimately protected.

"I want you…back to the girl I love," he said very, very quietly. "That's all I want. And…and so, sometimes…I want you to do this for me. For yourself. To relax, to…think about yourself first. To heal yourself first. And to…rely on me to take care of the rest. To trust me."

"I think about myself enough," said Rei, her pursed lips buried against his shoulder as she resisted tears. "I think about myself so much, Tyki, it disgusts me, I…"

"Stop," he murmured. "Keep thinking about yourself. Focus on it. Heal. Don't think about anything else. Aside from me, of course." He kissed her on the forehead, as if bestowing onto her the power necessary to control her thoughts. "I want you to think of me all the time."

Rei mustered a little laugh, relieved that she hadn't started crying, and Tyki gave her a wan smile.

"I'm going to go with Bookman, then," he said. "Let me know if you need anything—my phone's on."

"Okay."

Tyki's smile grew a bit warmer.

"I'll be back soon, all right? Let's do something tonight." He kissed her again, lingeringly. "Something fun. In the meantime…don't break on me."

He patted her on the head and left, careful to let the door shut quietly. His consideration of her had reached new heights. Those defenses made her want to believe that she could just remain in his arms, buffeted by assailant winds but never broken, because her defense was so strong, invincible, omnipotent.

She just didn't think that, if attacked from the inside, it could crumble more easily than a house of cards assailed by the slightest breeze.

* * *

"I didn't mean it," said Lavi the moment Tyki climbed into the passenger's seat.

"I know," he said bitingly.

"No, Mikk, I'm serious. It…it just came out, I really…God," said the Brit, frustrated beyond belief. "I swear, I didn't mean to corner her like that, I just…"

"Forget it," said Tyki wearily. "I know, it's not something you're so cruel to do. All the same—give it a rest, Bookman, at least for a little while."

"But until when?" said Lavi bitterly. "I need…I can't keep feeling like this. Just guessing. Reliving it. It…every single time I replay it in my head…my heart, it…" He stopped here, his hand twitching in clear indication that Bookman was not used to talking about sentiments, especially his own. Softly, nearly pleadingly, he spoke again. "When can I figure things…everything out?"

"When Rei has strengthened," said Tyki. "When she's back on her feet, when her eyes don't glaze over like she's trapped in a dream, when…" He gave a shrug. "When my girl's back, I'll tell you."

"Right," sighed Lavi, starting the engine. "It's a bit funny…my relationship's gone, but you and Rei are closer than I ever would've imagined."

Tyki shot him a sideways glance—Lavi's face was impassive, but the comment had its undertones.

"I'm sorry about Kate, Bookman," said Tyki sincerely. "But it's honestly not a walk in the park with Rei, you know."

"Of course not." But his tone was flat.

Tyki heaved a sigh. "Something happened with her and Kanda. Something she won't tell me. You have no idea, Bookman, what it's like to have your girlfriend's first love so close to her."

"No, but you don't have any idea what it's like to attend your own girlfriend's funeral."

Tyki stared at him, feeling another wave of frustration pass through the car. He didn't know what to reply, and was afraid that if he did, it would contain large hints of sarcasm.

It was difficult to empathize with Lavi. He didn't know what it felt like to lose a loved one—his parents' deaths seemed like a foreign part of his memory, and Road was nowhere remotely close to death. Only with Rei had Tyki encountered such a threat, and the mere thought of it made his heart convulse in such a way that he could perhaps shallowly compare it to what Lavi was feeling. And yet, though he would never wish that degree of pain on Lavi, Tyki could not forgive him for his slip of tongue.

No matter what was going on at the moment, Rei's mental stability came first. Tyki needed to drag her back from the edge of the cliff and bar her way to re-entrance, and Lavi had threatened that progress. So Tyki bit his tongue, unwilling to say nothing but unable to bring himself to say _something_, and turned to face the window.

Lavi released a sigh.

"Sorry," murmured Lavi. "I'm going insane."

Tyki gave a dark chuckle. "Don't worry, Bookman. We're all mad here."

* * *

Business was business. By the time they'd arrived at the hospital, Lavi had recovered his façade of normalcy and said that he'd deal with the doctor and the documents because, "Frankly, Mikk, I'm much better with words than you are." So Tyki remained in the background of the office, craving a cigarette but not rude enough to light one in the middle of the doctor's office.

He excused himself when the legalities began to interfere—the information was confidential and whatnot. Lavi was really better dealing with such issues than Tyki was; his Bookman background gave him no little advantage, and he quickly engaged in the argument necessary, like a lawyer with the road to victory paved already.

The hallway of hospitals were incredibly monochromatic; the floors blended into the walls, the glass panes squeaky clean. Tyki escaped to the outdoors and sat down by a fountain in the center of some sort of open square. Cigarette butts were tucked surreptitiously away behind bushes, giving him the notion that this was the place where doctors themselves darted to for a quick smoke or perhaps something more scandalous.

Tyki lit a cigarette and breathed in deeply. It was a habit that Rei disapproved of—she seemed to disapprove of generally everything he was inclined to do—but while he had decreased his smoking around her, it was still an urge that he found difficult to suppress.

He let out a breath, thinking. When he thought about it…

Their relationship was full of compromises. When he had first found himself blasphemously attracted to Rei—her purity and naiveté—he'd found himself wanting to corrupt it just to make him feel better. _She'd_ wanted to be a good influence—to fix him.

Where were they now?

Well, he'd stopped taking drugs, that was a plus.

But she'd also slept with him.

A wry smirk painted Tyki's face. That had been a plus too.

But Rei was cunning in a way that Tyki was quite sure she was not aware of herself; her reasons behind sleeping with him were muddled and hinted at exploitation—_his_ exploitation. Sure, he certainly didn't _mind_ sleeping with her—he was all for that, actually—but it still disturbed him to no little end how willing she had been. Why was a question he wanted to ask but didn't have the courage to.

Tyki pulled out his phone and pressed "2." Somehow, Rei had climbed up the speed dial ladder and had ended up as the first one; Tyki called and waited patiently. He still wasn't quite comfortable with how he'd left her earlier, and wouldn't have been surprised if she were depressed about what Bookman had said.

"Hey," came her voice. "Something wrong?"

"Hello," he said pleasantly. "How are you doing?"

"…I'm fine. What's going on?"

"Nothing, I got bored with all the legal jargon and came out for a bit," he said breezily. "Don't worry about it, Bookman's got it in the bag. You should be fine."

"…Thanks, Tyki," she sighed.

"It's nothing."

They both paused. Tyki was not terribly sure why he had called at all.

"Rei," he said suddenly, "do you love me?"

"What?"

"You heard me. I want to know the answer."

"…I thought I'd told you that a long time ago."

"Yes, you did," admitted Tyki. "But I want to hear it again. Now, to be exact."

Rei did not answer, and Tyki closed his eyes, grinding his teeth on the cigarette balanced in his mouth.

"Do you know what the biggest problem is with our relationship?" he asked evenly.

"Me," said Rei dully.

"Trust. You don't trust me. After everything I've done, Rei, after all this time…you still don't trust me. You won't tell me anything, you…" He could detect a growing pain in his chest. "I don't even know if you really do love me."

The conversation was going in a sticky direction. Tyki hated these "us" conversations, the ones that brought up all the weak points in the both of them and required his excessive sentiment. But if he wasn't the one to bring up all the issues, Rei would never, especially because her lack of trust was hypocritical. After trying so hard to make Tyki trust her, she became the one who refused to open up.

Rei paused for a long time before replying.

"I'm going to go see Kanda off tonight," she said clearly.

"…What?" said Tyki angrily.

"I'm going to go see him off," she repeated. "Tonight, at eight. And then I'm going to come back. Straight to you."

Tyki's breathing halted.

"I'm going to come back and stay with you and make you the happiest person I can. I'm…I'm going to love you with everything I've got, Tyki."

He was grinning all of a sudden, it was like the sky got infinitely brighter, and the pain in his chest evaporated, and it was bordering ridiculous how much better his life seemed to be all of a sudden.

"Are you happy right now?" said Rei.

"Grinning from ear to ear," he said honestly.

Rei laughed softly. "I'm glad. I'm…I'm sorry, too."

"You're forgiven…only if I can hear you say that again."

"No," was the immediate answer.

"C'mon, Rei," he whined, leaning against the wall and letting the cigarette drop from his lips. One quick step and he extinguished it.

"You whiny…" Her voice suddenly dropped a few decibels. "I'll say it again when you come back with chocolate and a teddy bear."

Tyki laughed, his eyes turned to the sky. "I'll clear out the Godiva store."

Rei said something in return, but Tyki wasn't really listening. His elation overwhelmed him, and he was seized with the desire to go home right at that moment, to whip her up into his arms and carry her to the bed, to ensure that his existence was all she cared about, thought about, all she loved.

"Rei," he said.

She stopped her sentence—he must've interrupted her.

"Yes?"

"I love you as much as I've ever loved someone before."

For the first time in a truly, truly long time, Tyki was one hundred percent happy. Everything was in his favor—the weather, the earth, the random bird on the next tree.

The sky hinted at rain.

* * *

It was early evening when Lulubell called on her. Rei had been reluctant to go—Kanda's flight departed in an hour—but she couldn't possibly see how Lulubell would take up so much time, so she was escorted promptly to the Queluz palace without further ado. Tyki had not yet returned, and so Rei was escorted by Benedito, who left promptly for other business once he dropped her off.

The elegant and imposing palace seemed woefully empty upon entrance; the lights were off despite the setting sun and there was a sense of desolate loneliness across the corridor. She half-expected Road to pop up from behind one of the statues, but the hallway remained painfully empty, and her only company was the mischievous smirk of Eros and the seductive smile of Aphrodite. She shuddered, feeling apprehensive.

Lulubell's figure emerged from one of the many doors lining the main hallway. She nodded appreciatively to Rei in greeting, her luscious lips curved in a weary smile that strongly resembled Tyki's. Many times had Rei wondered if Lulubell were actually related to Tyki—the resemblance between the two was striking, though Lulubell's golden eyes were always a shade shrewder.

"Thanks for coming," said Lulu. "I didn't know if you would—I thought it might've been too soon."

"It's fine," answered Rei. "I needed to get out."

"No one saw you come, then?"

"No one knows I'm here," said Rei reassuringly.

Lulu arched an eyebrow. "Not even Tyki?"

Rei shook her head wordlessly.

"Why didn't you tell him?"

"He wouldn't have wanted me to come," said Rei. "He wants me to remain alone with him…because that suite above Benedito's restaurant is a safe haven from anything harmful. He thinks I'll heal that way." Rei smiled wanly. "He's optimistic."

"You don't think you will?"

"I know I won't," corrected Rei. "Tyki doesn't want me to figure things out until I've recovered emotionally enough to deal with it. What he doesn't realize, though, is not knowing is going to make recovering all the harder."

Lulubell looked doubtful. "I must say that I agree with Tyki."

"Enough, it doesn't really have to do with you," said Rei. "What did you call me here for?"

"On the contrary…" said Lulubell. She hesitated.

Rei didn't know Lulubell well—she knew her enough to know that she was never going to be best friends with her—but she knew instinctively that Lulu, a woman possessed by self-confidence, was not one to hesitate easily. It only made Rei more apprehensive, and increased in her this feeling of trepidation that had been instilled in her since she'd received the invitation.

"What is it?" said Rei warily.

"If you are not emotionally ready for this, I don't want to tell you," said Lulu with finality.

"For what?"

She spoke the next sentence with great hesitance. Her voice had dropped to such a low volume that Rei strained to catch her words. "…I know the truth behind the accident."

Rei heard a sharp intake of breath and realized seconds later that it had been herself. Her eyes bulged, and she could feel a familiar panic inside her.

The truth. She had been searching for it.

Lavi had been searching for it.

Could she take it? What…what if it was something incredibly wrong? What if the accident had been one hundred percent, irrevocably her fault?

Could she bear it?

"If Tyki doesn't believe you're ready for this, I trust his judgment," said Lulubell quietly. "He doesn't know yet, but I thought it would be better to tell you it before I told you. However, if you're not ready, I deem it prudent for you to recover as much as you can before you hear it."

"No," said Rei sharply. Her fear had suddenly been supplanted by a desire to know what precisely had happened. If the accident had been her fault, then she would have to suffer the consequences. She'd been hiding from them for far too long. "I want to know."

Still, Lulubell looked uncertain.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

The older woman's face smoothed out and regained its normal haughty impassiveness. With a slight beckon for Rei to follow, she strode down the hallway, her high ponytail swishing with every step. They'd made their way halfway down the corridor in silence before a side door burst open, and a unpleasantly familiar voice could be heard from the room.

"For God's sake, _no_, I came here to be married and I demand to be married before I return to Japan!"

"The deal's off, woman," howled the unique voices of Jas and Debi. "We've told you over and over again—the Noah family's got way more stuff to deal with right now, and Lulubell's gotta get married first. So pack your bags and go home!"

"I refuse!"

Satsuma Aiko burst out of the room, her face red and blotchy from fury. Almost instantaneously, though, the color disappeared from her cheeks when her eyes landed on Rei.

"You!" she shrieked, pointing at Rei.

Why did Aiko seem so laughable now? The days of torment at the Black Order seemed so faraway, the trouble so insignificant that Rei could not possibly see why she'd even bothered to grow angry about it. Indeed, the entirety of Aiko and the high-school drama she represented seemed so asinine that Rei could not repress an exhausted smile.

"Satsuma. I nearly forgot you'd existed."

"I could say the same," sneered Aiko. "I swear, I've never hated a person so much—my fiancé was missing for a month, you're still dating him, and I'm unmarried! Life could never be worse!"

"It could be worse," said Rei tiredly. "Much worse."

The tone with which Rei spoke—one that was world-weary—made Aiko stiffen.

"I heard about what happened," the Japanese heiress said with difficulty. "I'm sorry about it."

Again, Rei gave her one of her fatigued smiles.

"I'm certain. Sorry, Satsuma, I've got some other business to attend to. If you'll excuse me…"

She attempted to walk away, un-anxious to continue the conversation, but Aiko stopped her.

"I'm going back to Japan," she said stiffly. "I realized that the most I could do was throw a fit about it before I left—maybe retain some pride after being hauled out here like some luggage only to never get married. Are you returning?"

"…No, I don't think I am," said Rei softly. "I don't think I'll be back in Japan for a long time."

Aiko looked suspicious. "Why?"

"Why?" repeated Rei, more to herself than to anyone. She toyed with the silver band on her finger mindlessly. "Intuition, I suppose. Send Komui-sensei my regards, all right?"

"…All right," said Aiko uncertainly, as if she'd never expected to have a civil conversation with a commoner before.

Rei decided to make the best of it and stuck out a hand.

"Have a safe trip back, Satsuma."

Aiko seemed to have a spasmodic fit, but she shook Rei's hand regardless. She nodded jerkily, mouthed some words, before disappearing back into her room, slamming the door shut fiercely behind her.

"Charming," said Lulu dryly. "I'm glad—she actually is going home. I couldn't stand her for another minute."

"She's matured," remarked Rei as they continued their journey down the hallway.

Lulu glanced sideways at her. "So have you."

The comment surprised Rei—it almost came as a compliment. Rei did not ask Lulu for further explanation, though, for they arrived at their destination. Lulu pushed open an oaken door and the two of them entered an office room, elegant and evidently old. It, however, contained a sleek, new MacBook on its desk, to which Lulu beckoned for them to sit down in front of.

"I want to warn you," said Lulu quietly, "that this news will not be pleasant. It will not be something you expected. Are you ready for that?"

Rei felt her heart clench, and she gritted her teeth with it.

"Yes."

Lulu nodded curtly and opened a minimized video-player. The screenshot on the computer was from an aerial view of a highway on a rainy day. With a jerk, Rei noticed the car that she had been driving on that fateful day.

"This is the footage I acquired from the highway's CCTV from that day," explained Lulu. "I also acquired one from the airport that shows your car pulling out—we'll watch it after this one."

Rei nodded, her teeth still ground together so tightly she wouldn't have been surprised if they cracked under the pressure.

Lulu clicked play and the car began to move. Its speed was evident in comparison to the cars beside it—Rei had obviously been going at a speed unsafe for the weather. She had gained quite a bit of a lead from the paparazzi, but what caught her eye was that there was another black car two lanes across, going at the same speed she was, having accelerated when she had. Lulubell pointed it out as well.

"I'm going to zoom in. Keep your eyes on this car."

Rei nodded, her face paler than it had ever been, but her eyes seized with a determination that she had lacked since the accident. They devoured the footage, trying to see everything and not leave a single detail out. Lulubell zoomed in the video, and the car that Rei had been driving was shifted to the far left edge. It was clear even through the pouring rain that the window of the duplicate car's backseat rolled down, and out of it, the barrel of a long gun was evident. Rei inhaled sharply as the barrel paused only infinitesimally before firing; her eyes darted to the car she'd been driving and the shotgun window, much to her surprise, did not shatter. The bullet had gone cleanly through the window, with the precise angle to avoid the shattering. Her eyes swiveled back to the assailant car—a second gun had been pointed out of the driver's window just as the first barrel had retracted, and it shot deftly, this time for the wheel, which it punctured and caused the car to jerk forward and spiral out of control.

Lulubell halted the video before the car they'd been in crashed into the side of the road. She glanced at Rei and pursed her lips.

"Are you all right?" she queried.

Rei had no answer. She could scarcely breathe, let alone talk.

"You're as white as a sheet—here," said Lulubell sharply, taking a water bottle from the desk and handing it to her. "Drink it. Then we'll talk."

Rei shook her head. She didn't want anything. Her mind whirred with a clarity and acceleration that was frightening and startling. Despite thinking that she could hardly speak, words began to tumble from her mouth, unopposed. This always happened; the adrenaline would come coursing in, and she was more alert than she ever was, thinking at a speed atypical from the norm.

"It was planned," she said, and even she was surprised with how even her voice came out to be. "I didn't miss some dent in the road—it was an assassination attempt."

"Correct," said Lulubell. "That car had been following you since you guys left the airport."

Rei's eyes narrowed. "Which is strange, because…" She paused, thinking. "We left London early for safety reasons. I hadn't thought about it…but the paparazzi being there was odd. They weren't supposed to know we were arriving."

"Cross Marian is not the most inconspicuous person in the world," reminded Lulu. "It's highly likely that they just saw him and arrived."

"You mean the paparazzi or the…attackers?"

"Both, perchance."

"I think so too," said Rei. "This kind of attack is stupid. It leaves behind traces, such as this, and is extremely risky. Trying to keep up with a car on the freeway in the rain, as well as shooting like this, it's haphazard and…very desperate."

"Yes," said Lulubell slowly, "but it also indicates the skill of the best, or else they wouldn't even had tried."

Rei gave her a swift, searching look.

"Why haven't the police said anything about this?" she demanded. "This is pretty obvious."

Lulu was silent for a moment. "This isn't the version the police have."

"…What?"

"I got their version first—by myself, because I have the skills to do that. What I found was this exact same record, only…" she pointed to the assailant car on screen, "this car didn't exist."

"…What?"

"Precisely," murmured Lulu. "I watched the footage repeatedly because the crash seemed preempted in some way but didn't make any sense. It finally occurred to me that CCTV records can be tampered if they are accessed by someone highly skilled—I therefore called Benedito to help me procure the originals. The speed to which he conducted the assignment with ensured that he was able to recreate the originals from traces left behind—I won't go into details—but I can assure you that this is real. The truth."

That Benedito was secretly this jack-of-all-trades was not surprising. Nor was it shocking that video footage could be tampered with.

It took Rei, for some reason, a long time to even ask herself the question of who had been in that car, holding the gun that had killed Kate. The relief she had been expecting after vindication did not fill her. It had instead been replaced by a cold, sweeping dread. She half-wanted to stand up and leave, to close the door to Lulubell's room and never revisit this scene or information again. That Kate had been killed, but Rei was certain that it had not been Kate they were after. That the assassins must've made a mistake.

"I'd like to replay the footage," said Rei, and for once, her voice shook. "Zoom in completely on the car that attacked us; I want to see the windows."

"…You'd like to find out who they were?" said Lulu.

"I want to say that it was the yakuza members who followed up after Tyki killed the one in the amusement park."

"…So you knew that."

Rei nodded curtly. "Tyki told me."

"Then you'll know that they were after you."

Again, a stoic nod, though Rei clenched her jaw reflexively. Lulubell noticed Rei stiffen, but nothing as well.

It suddenly dawned on Rei.

"You know who was in the car," she said shrewdly.

"I…have my suspicions," admitted Lulubell impassively.

"Who was it?" demanded Rei fiercely.

"Do you aim to seek revenge?" she asked calmly.

Rei snorted. "I can sure as hell tell you that I'm not going to sit on my ass while Kate's murderers get away."

"Would you gain revenge on your father?" said Lulu quietly.

Rei's heart stopped, and her eyes widened so much that they started watering. She could've sworn her ears had malfunctioned.

"Excuse me?" were the incredulous words out of her mouth after a stunned pause.

"I think you heard me correctly," said Lulubell, "but before you jump into accusing me of some reprehensible motive, listen. In the last week of the month Tyki did not contact you, Tyki was in London, watching over you. After escorting your party to the airport, Tyki then boarded the next plane back to Lisbon. That entire month, we of the Noah family were planning for some sort of follow-up attack from Leverrier—"

"Who?"

"Malcolm Leverrier. He's the head of the Japanese yakuza by takeover—his takeover is why Eiji defected from the yakuza and joined hands with us. It did not help that Leverrier bore a personal hatred for us, and your mother, Eileen, had once worked for us."

Rei's mind was quickly catching up with the information she was taking in. It was also making instinctive assumptions, ones that she voiced aloud.

"My mother didn't die in an accident. Leverrier killed her."

"…Correct," said Lulubell without batting an eyelash. "This was what made Eiji _really_ defect and disappear. He left with you, his only child, and trained you in every martial arts possible so you could defend yourself in case of attack. Additionally, he made deals with us—you would join our bodyguard force while our sheer reputation would shield you."

"Then why be engaged to my dad?"

Lulu smiled cryptically. "You must think I am some crafty, psychopathic bitch who manipulated the hell out of Tyki and chained him to the family."

Rei privately agreed.

"True, that's what I did to Tyki. Frankly put, though, I am fond of Eiji," shrugged Lulu. "Fond enough to marry him. That's really all there is to it."

"I don't believe you," snapped Rei. She hadn't intended to sound harsh, but it came out unedited.

Lulubell smirked, but it disappeared instantly. "I liked that his loyalty to his family was unconditional. That's something I've had run-ins with…loyalty is my chief requirement in a romantic partner." Her face darkened. "Of course, my impression of Eiji right now is susceptible to destruction right now."

"Why?"

"I'll continue explaining, then. After moving you here, we caught an assassin in Lisbon. Initially, we thought he was after Kanda Yuu—for clear reasons—but Tyki found his bag and it was full of your information as well. So we shifted gears slightly, but it didn't make too much of a difference because you and Kanda were together all the time anyway. You left for London, and the rest of us remained vigilant of incomers to both Lisbon and London. Eiji left for London shortly after Tyki did, and a few days before you guys left, he called and told me that he'd found assassins in London." Lulu pulled a pack of cigarettes out of her breast pocket, slid one thin cylinder out and lit it. She inhaled deeply, clearly disturbed, but Rei did not interrupt her.

"I related the information to Tyki, but lost contact with Eiji after that. As you know, nothing happened in London, and Tyki was right about to board his plane—the earliest one back after yours—when I told him about the crash. I'd just hung up with him, though, and Eiji burst into my room, soaking wet, and demanded to know your condition." Lulu looked at Rei intently. "Something sound off?"

"He wasn't in London," said Rei faintly.

"No, he wasn't. He'd been in Lisbon the entire time—the question was, where? Why hide? Additionally, he said the strangest things—he asked who had died. When I told him Kate, he mentioned shakily that her hair was brown."

Rei didn't want to hear the rest, but Lulubell pressed on in the steely tone of a doctor who read off autopsy reports.

"Things sound strange, right? So I grew suspicious, obviously, and began to check things across the board. The fact that I followed up so immediately gave me an advantage; obviously, Eiji had been working with people, so their tracks were still clear amidst the chaos." Lulubell exhaled a perfect smoke ring. "This is what I found: Eiji had worked behind our backs and gotten the Japanese assassins into Lisbon without our knowing—he'd fished for them falsified passports, ensured that they arrived on his shift, and then after telling me false information to throw me and Tyki off track, disappeared." She clicked on another minimized browser on her laptop and two profiles appeared. "He worked with these guys: Madarao and Tokusa—the two who had been sent to follow-up and kill you."

Rei barely looked at their pictures. The world suddenly seemed strangely hazy, insipid, colorless. She felt far removed from it, her breaths shallow and her palms clenched so tightly together that they could've drawn blood, but Rei couldn't feel the pain.

"My dad wants to kill me," she whispered.

Lulubell did not answer. Rei looked at her numbly, beseechingly.

"Where is he right now?"

"…I called you over when he went out," she replied. "I didn't want to risk you running into—"

There was an abrupt knock on the door, and without waiting for a reply, it opened with a creak. Lulubell reacted swiftly; she closed the laptop and pulled out a gun while swiveling in her chair to face the intruder, her gun aimed past Rei's head and at the door.

Eiji walked into the room, his expression shocked upon seeing Lulubell and Rei together.

"…Rei," he said. "Why are you here? With Lulu, at that?"

"We were just talking," responded Lulubell with a fake smile. "I thought I would call her over just to check on her. We were just having a nice chat."

"Is that so," said Eiji, looking doubtful. "You should've told me, Lulu, I would've stayed."

"It's fine," she said, "we—"

"Why don't you pull out a gun, Otou-san, and shoot me in the head right now?"

Rei's voice cut over Lulu's clearly and cleanly, an iced blade that pierced the room in one slick stab. It had taken time for her brain to adjust. To register Eiji as an enemy. To come to terms that the father she had reconciled with was nothing more than a fake.

Her voice was flat, cold, smooth. The little color Eiji had drained from his face, and even Lulubell looked taken back.

"…What did you say, Rei?" said Eiji cautiously.

"I said," Rei stood up and faced him, her tone the same as before, "why don't you pull out the gun you used to kill Kate and actually hit the right person this time? I'm right here, aren't I? Defenseless? Perfect opportunity, right?"

"Rei, what in the world—"

"When you came so breathlessly to Lulubell, asking if I were all right, were you just checking that I had died? Did the black hair confuse you? The windows were tinted, right? It must've been easy to make the mistake. And you would never imagine that I had driven—Cross had been the one to come pick us up. But instead of killing your target—_your daughter_—"

"You dare even think that I would try to kill you?" shouted Eiji, finally catching up to her and cutting Rei's awful speculations off. "Rei, I would never! _Never,_ ever would I target you—I would be mad to even think of killing the last family I have—"

"Then what? Then who would you target?"

"I thought so," interceded Lulu, and relief seemed to flood her face. The two Matsumomo's turned to look at her. "You struck a deal with the yakuza. It was Kanda, wasn't it? Rei's safety for his head." She seemed insanely happy at this realization. "You didn't betray us."

"Of course I wouldn't," said Eiji, his voice lowered and more controlled once he saw that Lulu was now on his side. "I could never."

"Never what?" said Rei relentlessly. "Never betray the Noah family?"

"Rei—"

"So it's all okay now?" she said loudly, drowning him out. The state of shock she had slid dissipated into one of fury—she had never been this angry in her life, the rage swamped any other emotion inside her. That Lulubell would suddenly be in support of her father did not come as a surprise—she clearly had a phobia of being betrayed even though she would not hesitate one second to do the same. As long as Eiji had not betrayed Lulu herself, then the Portuguese princess hardly had a problem with it.

But the same could not be said for Rei.

Not one person in the Noah family gave a damn about Kanda, and hearing that Eiji deemed it appropriate to kill Kanda off filled her with a rage that was disproportional to the shock she'd felt when she'd assumed Eiji's target had been her. The notion that Kanda was dispensable infuriated her; Kanda was _not_ dispensable, not to her, and to hear that her entire life had long been planned out, _her safety_ had long been ensured at the expense of others—Kate's killer was her own father—Kanda was her father's target—so Lulubelland Eiji could sit there, gloating in their glory, but Kate was still dead, and nothing—yet everything—had changed. She had been pushed over the edge, the cliff she had been dangling at came firmly under her feet and she'd plunged beyond it—something in Rei snapped.

"It's okay for you to kill Kanda? It's okay for you to have killed Kate?"

"I never—"

"What did you come o her funeral for? What did you—were you mocking me? Telling me it hadn't been my fault because it'd been yours?" Her voice had reached a scream that she could no longer hold back. The disbelief was incredible and uncontrollable. "Does nothing matter to you? Do other people not matter? Did you ever think that we could've all died? Did you ever think how I would feel when Kate died? What if it had been Kanda? Did you think I could just 'get over it' and move on? Does that excuse you?"

Eiji seemed lost for words, and Lulu did not come to his aid. Rei was glad—she could've easily shot the both of them.

"What were you seeking to achieve?" said Rei breathlessly. "Did you think that as long as I was safe, the ends justified the means? Did you think you were protecting me? What if you'd killed Kanda? Did you think that would've been protecting me? Do you think I'm okay because the entire world thinks that I killed Kate? You claim that you did everything because you care, Otou-san, _but when the fuck did you actually care_?"

Tears were flowing down her cheeks uncontrollably. Her heart hurt like a metal hand was actively squeezing it as hard as it could. She could not breathe—her tirade was slowing down because she could not force the words out of her mouth, and yet there was so much more to be said, so much disbelief and anger and grief and betrayal she needed to express—her father was a traitor, a murderer, and she was his daughter—what could she say to Lavi now that she knew the truth—

"What were you trying to do?" she cried. "What was so…so important that you could kill Kate?"

"…I was trying to recreate my family," said Eiji helplessly. "To create it…with you safe and sound…with Lulu…because my daughter—"

"_I am not your daughter!_" she screamed. "I don't know what the fuck goes on in your head, but if you think I can live everyday with the knowledge that my own dad killed one of my best friends, if you think I can stare into your face knowing that you want to kill Kanda, someone I love—"

Eiji looked stunned.

"—then you're fucking insane, and your family has just gone to hell because I'm not just going to sit here and pretend that everything's okay when my best friend has just been cremated—"

"So you'll turn Eiji in to the police?" said Lulubell, and her coldness was, to a bystander, more intimidating than Rei's screaming.

But at this point, Rei was beyond reasoning and intimidation—Lulubell was an insignificant sycophantic bitch who had no moral values. Eiji was…everything was his fault, he was a liar, a traitor, a murderer, a…

A dad.

He was her dad.

And no matter what he had pulled by abandoning her, no matter what he had done…

Her heart wrenched as her mind automatically began thinking about how Eiji had raised her. The endless hours worth of training, the sweat and toil, his admonishment when she failed to pass his expectations and the quiet rewards of going out to eat when she did well. Rei remembered the times from her childhood when her father was the greatest martial artist she'd ever known, remembered what it was like to sit on his shoulders and yell to anyone who would listen that she had the best dad ever…

And she knew that Eiji was still her flesh and blood, the only real family she had left, and…

Could she do it?

Could she actually go to the police and turn him in? To watch her own dad go behind bars? Could she do it?

"It was for a family again," Eiji said brokenly, and a tear slid down his face. "It was all I wanted."

She could not bear it.

And she couldn't do it.

"I don't want it," she said, her voice raspy. "I don't want to be in your family. I don't want to ever see your face again…either of you. You can make a family by yourselves. Don't include me in it. I don't want a father who's a murderer."

"Rei—"

"I can't turn you in. So I'm going to do the next best thing to hurt you the most—I'm going to disappear," she said, her heart convulsing as the words dropped from her mouth. "I can't stay here seeing the man who killed Kate everyday and know that I couldn't turn him in. I can't stay here, staring at a family that condones her death. I'm going to leave, but I promise you, Otou—Matsumomo Eiji, that I will become everything you've ever hated, I will destroy any belief that you could have a family with me as your daughter. I will work my hardest to destroy the daughter you've shaped, the daughter you've raised, the daughter you've lost your humanity to keep safe."

Eiji's stricken face glowed in the face of the flickering electric light. Rei had no eyes for anything else, no place in her chest to feel anything else other than the sorrow that spread like acid, eating away any other emotion.

"If…" she swallowed. "If I hear that you or anyone in your shitty yakuza group hurts Kanda…I'll turn you in. If Tyki…"

She couldn't continue. It was enough, she'd gotten her point across.

"I won't see you again," she said hoarsely. "Don't look for me. Don't contact me. I never want to see you again."

She could not stay in the room any longer. She pushed by him, holding back the sobs that threatened to burst forth from her chest. It hurt. Like someone had taken out her heart and torn it to shreds, replacing it with just an empty container that could feel only pain and mutilating grief.

It hurt so badly.

But she kept walking. Out of the room, out of the hallway, out of the accursed house that had in one swift motion destroyed everything.

Eiji did not call back for her once. And that was good.

Because both her parents were now dead.

* * *

"Sir, the flight is supposed to take off now."

Kanda glanced around the gate.

"Wait a little while longer," he said silkily to the attendant at the gate.

She looked impatient. "Sir, it was supposed to take off ten minutes ago and you're holding the other passengers back."

He didn't answer and kept his gaze fixated on the sea of passing people in front of him. She said she'd be here—why wasn't she? She was the one who'd said that she was going to see him off.

It suddenly struck him how stupid he was being.

"Who the fuck was I kidding," he muttered under his breath.

Without another word, Kanda strode past the mortally offended attendant and through the gate.

* * *

She did not know how she'd managed to pack, to throw some things together. She was only grateful that Tyki wasn't back yet and Benedito was out. She left everything other than a backpack full of clothes and necessities behind. The ring laid on the counter in the bathroom. She left no note.

* * *

Back and forth, she debated, call or don't call, pick up the phone, punch in the numbers, she just wanted to hear his voice really quickly, he deserved an answer, a reason, he'd been calling her phone probably, he was probably afraid she'd gone away with Kanda, was she supposed to tell him the real reason she was leaving, was this the right decision, could her pathetically weak heart bear it any longer, could she hurt him any more than this?

She picked up the phone and dialed the numbers quickly, adjusting her hat over her eyes.

He picked up on the third ring.

"If this is some fucking reporter," said Tyki without preamble, "I'm going to murder you—"

"Tyki," she said.

"Rei," he said, sounding relieved. "Where the hell are you? I've been calling your phone like crazy and you haven't picked up—are you lost somewhere? Why are you calling from a random phone number? Are you all right?"

His concern was too much. She couldn't do this, she couldn't leave him—had he been waiting for her to come back? Had he really returned with a whole store's worth of Godiva and teddy bears just so he could reaffirm that she was going to make him happy?

Was this okay? Was this right? Could she break her promise so quickly?

She was silently weeping as she leaned against the glass pane of the telephone booth. The rain was pouring down in sheets. She was soaked to the bone but grateful for the weather because no one had given her a second glance as she had wandered in Lisbon's street, aimlessly, mindlessly, in a stupor that she could not bring herself out of.

"Where are you?" asked Tyki. "Do you need me to pick you up?"

"Tyki," she said, trying her utmost best to sound stable but failing; his name came out in a wrecked sob, shaky and uncertain.

He seemed to understand that something was deathly wrong.

"Rei? Where are you?" he persisted as gently as he could. "I…are you with Kanda? I…did you leave your ring because…of some change of heart?"

Kanda.

She'd completely missed his flight.

"No," she said softly. "No, nothing like that."

"Great," and he sounded genuinely happy for an infinitesimal moment, "but…what's going on? It's really late—and it's raining. Why aren't you back?"

"Tyki…I…God, Tyki, I can't go back. I…I don't want it to be like this," she sobbed. "I'm…I'm so sorry, Tyki, I meant everything I told you and thought I could…I could genuinely make you happy, and…"

"…Come back," he said, and there was a plea in his words. "Come back, that's all I care about right now—"

"I'm…I'm so sorry, Tyki…I have to leave, I…Tyki, I beg you, don't try to find me. Forget I ever existed, forget it all because I will never heal unless you do."

"Is this because of what Bookman said?" he guessed, panicked. God, when did Tyki ever panic? What was she doing to him? "Rei, it's nothing, you'll heal just fine and—"

"I can't, Tyki. It won't happen…Tyki, I love you, but I love myself so much more, and I just can't do this…I have to go."

"Rei."

The way he said her name made he want to howl in despair—_GOD, why was she doing this?_

But she couldn't choose otherwise, could not live with the guilt of knowing that Kate's murderer was her own father, could not see Eiji and Lulubell together everyday without hating herself, hating herself to the core—

But how was this a better idea? She could hear Tyki's pain on the atomic level—wasn't she just going to end up hating herself either way?

"I'm so…so sorry," she breathed, every word accompanied by wracking tears. She bit her lip so hard that it bled as she attempted to bully her numb mind into thinking of other words to say.

"Rei, please—"

She hung up.

She set the phone down with so much force that it bent the receiver, but she did not care, could hardly care. But she knew that she could not keep listening to Tyki's voice, could not bear listening to that tone of pain, betrayal, lack of understanding….

She drew a breath in shakily. The tears weren't stopping, but she left the booth, drenching herself in the rain.

At least now, even she couldn't tell if she was crying or not.

* * *

It took only twenty-four hours for Matsumomo Rei to disappear.


	44. The Gates of Mimi Silavand

_Diamonds in Wine_: Part II

**Chapter 1: The Gates of Mimi Silavand**

* * *

_"I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing_." - Agatha Christie

* * *

The Chanel showcase in New York City was received with raving reviews. Even the harshest critics admitted that Cross Marian, when he got down to it, was the most phenomenal photographer of the century. Kate Schrödlich was awarded a posthumous title and her photos were put in prominence, and she was heralded as the best female model of the decade. Lavi Bookman was given multiple offers from the most popular brands and companies of the high fashion world. Lenalee Lee was unable to make it to the premiere for professional reasons, but her commoditized image's worth skyrocketed, and with the amount of work her manager was suddenly given, it was very obvious that Lee was going to be the first mainstream Asian international model in a very long time.

Allen Walker made his debut at the showcase, much to his own surprise. He had captured some of Lenalee Lee's most natural and beautiful moments, and had contributed a set of photos to Tyki Mikk and Rei Matsumomo's "magnetic attraction" shoot. Cross Marian clearly did not take idiots to be his apprentice.

Yuu Kanda refused to answer any questions. Rumors had it that he was thinking of no longer modeling, despite his soaring popularity and paved golden road to the international stage. He attended the showcase for a full fifteen minutes, spoke to Cross Marian in a quiet undertone, before disappearing from sight. Five minutes after his departure, another photo was revealed in the corner of the room. Those whose eyes were not glued to the real models in person and the champagne beheld the most beautiful picture they'd seen in their lives. They scrambled around to find Yuu Kanda.

He was gone.

There was no one else to ask for explanation. Cross Marian had nothing to offer.

Though companies around the world wanted to hire Tyki Mikk and Rei Matsumomo after the showcase, neither could be contacted. There were questions about their relationship. Rei Matsumomo and Yuu Kanda. Pictures just did not come out that beautifully if there was nothing between them.

But those who attempted to call the Noah family were simply met with a curt "Tyki is on vacation" before the click of a disconnected phone line.

As for Rei Matsumomo, not much was known about her to begin with. No one had heard anything about her for the last month.

Chanel, overwhelmed with their increase in sales, decided not to deduct the pay of the models who had not attended the showcase. The project had, after all, been a tremendous success.

* * *

_October eleventh, time is nine a.m._

_Patient is a nineteen year old female, race is white—_

Waysian, actually_, she laughs._

_Waysian?_

It's just a term I heard from my roommate. Apparently it's half white, half Asian. I guess the "white" side seems a little more obvious?

_Patient is biracial European and Asian. Her hair and eyes are both brown. She is thin, tan, and overall physically healthy. This is the first appointment._

_Patient is asked what brings her here._

I don't know what I'm really here for, actually_, she says reluctantly._ I suppose it's the nerves from being in an entirely new place with new people, same old college nerves as anyone else.

_Patient is asked about her social life_.

My social life? I…I get along with the girls in my hall, I guess.

_Patient is asked more specifically._

Do I party? Not really, I've been more worried about adjusting. I suppose I thought it was something that would come naturally with time.

_Patient is asked about any problems she might be having or feeling._

It probably sounds silly. I don't really have problems. I don't dislike anyone, nor do I particularly like anyone.

…Depressed? I don't know. I do feel depressed sometimes. I spend most of my time studying though. It's very refreshing. It makes me feel like I can control something about my future.

_Patient has issues with control. She is asked what her plans are._

I'm not too certain…I'm only a freshman, and we don't have to declare until we're sophomores. I enjoy what I'm doing now, though, some calc and econ.

_Patient looks at clock. She seems on edge, perhaps issues with anxiety, and looks as if she is thinking hard or perhaps regretting something._

I actually have a meeting in ten minutes, _she says apologetically_. I'm sorry to have wasted your time.

_Patient is given reassurance that she isn't a waste of time—she may have issues with depression and may be prone to suicidal tendencies—and is given a further suggestion_.

You think I should get out more? That's certainly not something I thought I'd hear from a psychiatrist. I thought you'd look down on the amount of underage drinking going on.

_The suggestion is elucidated_.

Oh, clubs. Extracurricular activities. Yeah, I guess that's a good idea. Thanks for your time, I gotta go.

_Session ends._

* * *

It is maybe only around the beginning of her second semester as a freshman that Mira Chang starts to notice the brunette who is in her linear algebra class. She recognizes her from the multivariable class from the previous semester but had only assumed her to be a classmate. She doesn't exactly stand out—she scores above average but Mia is always number one, thus tending not to notice other people unless they ask her to tutor them, which then causes her to avoid those people at all costs. But she remembers thinking in passing that the brunette is pretty.

The next time Mira sees her is at the frat party up in the empty art loft that one of the brothers' parents own. In fact, his parents own the entire building, plus a couple more down the block. Fucking rich New York kids. She wouldn't have gone if she hadn't been studying for midterms all week—she'd been cooped up in the library for so long she'd wanted to scream. Besides, her linear midterm had been a joke and she'd finished half an hour early. As custom had dictated, she'd waited until a few people turned it in before she left as well. The brunette had been the third one finished.

Mira didn't think that her classmate partied, but party she did, especially in the loft that night. The way she's dressed gives Mira the impression that she's well-off—her clothes are designer-brands—and her makeup is impeccable. She has a slow smile; when guys dance with her, she does not brush them off and her body language even encourages them, but something about her face is off. She seems a little too distant.

It makes Mira vaguely interested, but she is not one to care too much. She steps away from the crowd of hormonal teenagers too drunk on champagne and freedom from responsibility and goes up a wiry side staircase to the rooftop, where she can see the skyline of the city.

She hates New York City.

That isn't entirely true—she'd chosen NYU out of her own volition precisely because the city was exhilarating. True, NYU isn't on the nicest side of New York but it works—they mingle with the Columbia kids, whom Mira find to be much better conversation holders than the ones making out in the loft below, and she sometimes enjoys the fast-paced life of the city.

All the same, it isn't what she'd expected. The winters are cold, the snow interesting at first but a hassle after it builds up to her knees. She misses Cali and its golden merry weather, but not the home she'd left behind.

High school had been hell. Every day was some sort of contest—be the best, always the best, get the recs from the right teachers, make the right connections, win this competition, practice piano until you get tendonitis.

It's paid off, of course. Mira's efforts always reap rewards. She got into Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, Columbia—her parents' dream had come true. Their daughter was perfect by Chinese standards.

But Mira came to NYU. They'd given her a full-scholarship—and she'd even be paid to come. Her parents were distraught. Why waste everything she'd worked for in high school? They would never consider it—Harvard wanted her, but wanted some money too—they'd pay for Harvard or Columbia, if she wanted to go to New York, but not for NYU—but Mira kindly reminded them that they didn't need to pay anything. She'd earned the education purely by herself.

She hasn't gone crazy in college, no, far from it. She drinks responsibly, parties responsibly, is careful to use contraception and chooses her hookups carefully. Her grades are still stellar—her professors love her and her English professor said that she'd never come across such an insightful student in all her teaching career.

Mira stands alone on the roof of the building, fingering the hem of the sequined tank top she was wearing. The New York skyline is beautiful, calming despite the frenzied movement of headlights on the streets and the booming sound of the bass beating rhythmically under her feet. She lets out a sigh and pulls out a cigarette from her pocket, lights it, and brings it to her lips.

"You smoke?" says a surprised voice behind her.

Mira jumps visibly; her heart escalates as she whirls around to come face to face with the brunette. On close inspection, Mira realizes that the girl was not fully white, as she'd thought—there is definitely some Asian blood in that face.

The girl gives Mira one of those slow smiles. Mira is rudely reminded of a vampire before it attacked.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," she says. "I was just taken back."

She's prettier than Mira remembered—taller, too, than she'd expected. Mira glances down and realizes that the girl is wearing stilettos. Funny, Mira hadn't heard her come up the stairs at all.

"You look confused as to who I am. I'm Mimi Silavand," she says, sticking out her hand. "I'm in your—"

"Linear class," finishes Mira for her, shaking her hand. "And calc, last semester."

"Oh, yeah," says Mimi, thinking and making a face. "Talleyman, right? What a nightmare."

Mira shrugs in moderate agreement. She'd gotten an A+ and Talleyman has promised to write a rec for her internship this summer, so she doesn't have much to say against him.

Mimi smiles again, as if she knows what Mira is thinking. What she says next catches Mira off guard.

"You got into the top ten schools, didn't you?"

Mira frowns and doesn't answer. Mimi is unperturbed.

"Why didn't you go to one?"

"Money," says Mira half-truthfully as she stares straight ahead at the glowing end of her cigarette stick.

Mimi nods understandingly but Mira knows she's skeptical.

"Your parents fit the Asian stereotype?"

"Yeah," says Mira tonelessly.

Mimi shrugs. "I wouldn't mind it, I don't think. Sounds like they care."

"That's what you think. Which one of your parents is Asian?" asks Mira.

Mimi looks surprised. "You can tell?"

"I wouldn't have guessed—you're a lot tanner than me, but your facial features are pretty distinct."

"My mom was Japanese."

"Was?"

"She died before I came to college."

Mira pauses. "I'm sorry."

Mimi shrugs again. "It's fine."

"You live with your dad?"

"No, alone," is the cold reply. Mira automatically knows that this isn't a subject she is supposed to breach.

The conversation stops there. Mira is reduced to coolly observing the person in front of her—she's still not sure what to make of Mimi. If anything, Mimi gets prettier the longer Mira looks at her. She has really long legs, even without the heels, or perhaps it's just the way Mimi dresses that makes her legs so endless and thin. Her skirt is short but classy, paired with a deep red top and black jacket over it. Mimi's lips are painted a seductive crimson and her eyes are hazel, a color a shade lighter than her dark brown tresses.

"Are you a model?" asks Mimi abruptly.

Mira wants to laugh—it's the question she was about to ask.

"No, I'm not," says Mira, aware of her own long limbs and beauty. "I've been asked a couple of times, though."

"Your parents wouldn't let you?"

"I also don't think there's anything to be gained by selling your looks. There's no capabilities involved—all models did to ensure their success was be born. I'm not fond of the aesthetic-based and commoditized imagery of our superficial society."

Mimi's smile has turned cryptic.

"Point proven," she said vaguely.

Mira realizes that, if Mimi is a model, which she is likely to be, she could have offended her. But Mira is not one to retract her statements and apologize, so she just nods.

Mimi laughs suddenly. "You know, I think we could get along. I'm actually looking for a roommate next year—I know I've just introduced myself, but would you be interested?"

* * *

_March twenty-fifth, time is nine a.m. _

_Patient is Mimi Silavand, age twenty years old. Twelfth appointment. _

_This is the second time in the same week that the patient has made an appointment. Her depression has gotten much worse. Anti-depressants have been prescribed but it is unknown as to whether the patient actually takes them. _

I want to go home, _she says absentmindedly. _

_Patient is asked to explain._

No, not the dorm. I want to go home.

_Patient is asked to define where "home" is._

…I don't know where it is. I don't have one anymore.

_Session ends._

* * *

Tyki sits in his apartment in Portugal, thinking about nothing. A wine glass is balanced in his hand, his shirt is open as he stares out the open window, welcoming the breeze that does little to alleviate the stifling atmosphere of the room. He could easily go and turn on the air conditioning, but there is something about the sweltering heat that prevents him from banishing it, uncomfortable as it is. He leans his head backward, perspiration beading around his forehead as he closes his golden eyes, reciting his schedule for the next week silently.

"_Doctor's" appointment at twelve. Meeting with a noblewoman at three. Party at eight. _

_Flight to France tomorrow at six a.m. T.V. interview meeting next. Then a photo shoot with the Ralph Lauren photographers there. _Then a potential meeting with Marian? Perhaps not. Tyki will call and cancel. He would rather not hear anything more about his face being unable to project the same images he could two years ago. He personally thinks he looks no different.

He jangles the near-empty orange bottle in his right hand. He can tell from the sound—there are only three left.

He pops open the bottle and downs the pills, looking at the wine in other hand, debating whether or not it's a good idea to wash the medicine down with alcohol.

His feeble conscience tugs him the other way.

He sets the glass down and gets up to go get a bottle of water.

_Recording studio the next day in California. _He is not looking forward to recording. He almost hates it—but Cyril has mentioned before that there is something very appealing about a man who can sing, so Tyki has relented. It is a hassle.

But it is a preoccupation.

* * *

_March twenty-seventh. Time is eleven p.m._

_Patient is Mimi Silavand, age twenty years old. Appointment was made fifteen minutes ago. Patient and psychiatrist are close enough to have exchanged cell-phone numbers. They meet at the psychiatrist's home._

_Patient is dressed up for a party and smells strongly of alcohol. She is severely shaken and not in her right state of mind._

I'm going to die if this keeps up.

_Patient is asked what she means._

…It's that time of year. Everyone is remembering her. I see every one of them in the television, the news, billboards, posters. I shouldn't have come to New York. Stupid, stupid mistake.

…I only came to NYU because it was the exact opposite of what they would expect. They'd think I'd disappear to a small, woebegone city. No. The last place they'd think of looking is here. But…I didn't think that I would ever see them. There was a reason I don't go to the Columbia parties—there's be a higher chance of seeing him in the high class clubs…shit, _she looks like she's about to cry._ And he's here now.

_Who?_

_Patient freezes up. She is frightened and seems to have said something she wasn't supposed to._

_She refuses to elaborate. _

Can I just get trashed here?

_Session ends._

* * *

He's at an interview.

The asinine, ridiculous, completely pointless interview.

Tyki hates talking to the public. Hates the constant pestering about his life, about what relationship he's in currently when he _isn't_ in a relationship. They are called friendships with benefits. Many physical benefits.

He hates interviews because he hates smiling, acting like he's quite fine when he is most likely stoned. He hates the questions about his plans for the future because he has none—none at all—because he lives for the present. He hates any questions dealing with why his music is sometimes passionless. He hates listening to other people's opinions.

And the absolute worst thing about any interview is that one question they slip in, at the most inopportune moment, to try to catch him off guard and jolt an answer out of him. Not once has he been fooled, because it's the question he is anticipating the entire time.

"So Tyki," smiles the talk show hostess, "it's been two years since your last collaboration with Cross Marian, the famous British photographer. Many of your fans expected another shoot—encouraged by a lot of rumors, certainly—but we all believed that there is some degree of truth in the rumors. Is there any possibility that you will shoot with Cross any time soon?"

This is a much less subtle way to approach the situation than normal. Any mention of Cross or the old "group" is blatantly pointing in the general direction.

"Probably not," answers Tyki silkily. "Marian is on his way to retirement—he has a trait of spontaneity that I don't quite enjoy dealing with, despite the results. I find it highly unlikely that we'll work together again."

"Oh," says the hostess, looking disappointed. "Well, that's a shame. Perhaps there are…personal reasons behind that? Do you think working with Cross will bring back memories about a certain someone that you absolutely refuse to talk about?"

Ah. Quite the direct way to ask, actually. Tyki almost prefers it this way.

"It might," he replies vaguely.

"Tyki, you know that your fans completely sympathize with you—I do as well! Is there any chance that you could perhaps enlighten us on the current situation of the mysteriously disappeared Rei—"

"I cannot," interrupts Tyki.

"But—"

"Sorry," he says with a cold smile. "I can't."

The hostess looks taken back with his iciness, and there is an awkward silence. Tyki cannot care less, but he remembers that Cyril has told him only recently that he needs shape up his image for the public, and he forces a more genuine smile to his face.

"It's just a subject I don't want to talk about. It's been a long time, and it's a part of my life I'd like to forget."

"Oh…well, I understand," says the woman sympathetically. "We can move on to the next question then…"

And that is how Tyki always solves his problems. It is not hard to garner sympathy when it is clear that he was the one left behind.

* * *

_September eighteenth._

_Patient is Mimi Silavand, age twenty years old. Time is nine a.m. Twentieth session: begins._

_Patient seems to be in a good mood. She expresses that she did not really think psychiatry would work, nor does she believe that it's the actual therapy that works _(Sorry, not making light of your profession)_ but a personal affinity she feels with the psychiatrist. She came irregularly during the first semester of her freshman year and more often in the second semester. The fall semester of her sophomore year has just begun and she has made note to come often._

_Patient is asked about what she did over the summer. _

I went with Mira, Elle, and Teresa to California. Beautiful, beautiful place. Gorgeous weather, gorgeous men, I had fun tanning and I got to intern at Stanford's business school. It was all connections of course, because Mira's well known around there, but it was fun.

…Men? _She chuckles._ You always ask me this question. Just the ones I meet at parties. I thought I told you before, I don't believe in a long term relationship right now. I just want to get through college and maybe go to business school.

_Patient is asked about her depression_.

I don't take any medicine—I know you prescribed stuff and you think I'll do better on it, but I don't want it. I think it's something that I'd rather deal with myself. Besides, Mira's pre-med and the smartest in our class, probably, and she doesn't think I need it.

…She doesn't know me? Well…_she seems pensive at this remark._ I suppose I don't tell her all the things I've told you, but…you're like a diary. I tell you all the things that no one is supposed to know. And you're bound by patient confidentiality not to tell all these things to anyone else.

_Patient is reassured that she isn't going to be exposed, and is asked about her relationship with her friend._

Mira's what every girl wants to be, _she laughs_. I've learned in class that there's this distinct difference between men and women, and the reason girls are so much more…well, bitchy and competitive is because they have a self-imposed requirement to not just seem perfect, but _effortlessly_ perfect. Mira is that effortlessly perfect—Harvard-smart, 5'10 and gorgeous. She's a bit…reserved, and I think other people think she's haughty…but we get along.

_Patient is asked if she's jealous of Mira_.

I think everyone is unconsciously jealous of Mira…but maybe I've long realized that I'm never going to be effortlessly perfect, or perfect at all. It's not something I'm striving for, so I have no reason to dislike Mira. I think it's because we seem to both have something to hide that makes us unconsciously like each other. I'm not really sure what she's hiding, but I like to keep secrets as well, and so I don't think I'm going to badger her about it.

_Remark is made that patient seems much happier than she was at the end of the previous year._

I suppose. It's nice to have friends again.

_Patient is told to be careful. She may have incidents when she is stressed and is told that she can always come if she needs help._

_She laughs._ Of course I'll be back, Anita. You're my lifeline here. _She looks at her watch. _I've got class in fifteen, but do you want to meet up for lunch sometime? Outside of the office, because then you can't ask me all those professional questions and have to record me all the time?

_Session ends._

* * *

Kanda taps his pen impatiently on his desk as he looks around the room. It is bare, save for the occasional plant in the corners of the room, and the leather sofa making an exceptionally awkward statement in the middle of his office. He frowns. He needs more furnishings.

He presses the button on the phone at his desk.

"Reever," he says.

"Yeah?" is the static-ridden reply. "I'm here, down in the lobby. How do you like the office?"

"Get some more furniture."

"It's on its way—the sofa just got there first."

"Get some paintings too."

"I'll get right on that." The manager's voice sounds weary—it is evident that Reever has not slept for a while—but Kanda is completely unsympathetic. He himself has been up for the last seventy-two hours, trying to get the company up and running. While the actual clothing line will not debut for another year, the company headquarters—stationed in London—have to be furnished and ready months beforehand. He also has to personally go through the multitudes of applications for employment—he is tempted to just put them all in a hat and draw them out randomly.

Of course, that isn't going to work, because most of the applicants' reason for wanting to work at Mugen is "to meet Kanda Yuu." Like that is a feasible response.

Kanda sinks down into the leather chair and swivels around, his blue eyes gazing out the large window that covers the entire expanse of the wall. He still feels largely apprehensive about this aspect of his office. It seems too easy for a sniper to shoot him at this location…but he has not been attacked for years now, and has a slight hunch that whatever idiot who was actually out to kill him has given up, thank goodness. He is past the age where he can simply run around and do useless things—Mugen is _his_ creation, (even though the money that jumpstarted it came from Tiedoll, but Kanda will obviously pay him back).

Kanda's cell phone rings, and without looking at the caller ID, he picks it up.

"Where the hell _are_ you?" says an annoyed voice without a greeting.

"In my office," says Kanda blandly.

"Dude, we said we were meeting at 12 sharp."

"I never said I was coming."

Allen Walker groans, but there is some movement at the end of the other line, and the new voice is infuriatingly sugary sweet.

"_Yuu_—"

"I'll kill you, Bookman."

"Well you can't kill me if you're not here, right? C'mon, man, we're all here. I'll treat ya—congrats on getting your company up and running. I'm liking the logo, you know, mugen in Herculanum font looks awesome, but I was hoping you'd go with the Chinese takeout one I suggested—"

"Look here, bastard—"

There is some shuffling, and Lenalee's voice appears at the other end of the line.

"Kanda, the waiter's getting annoyed, would you just come over? We're just right across the street! And I bet you haven't even eaten anything all day because you've been working—I'm worried about you, you know. Reever says that you haven't slept in days—" Kanda makes a mental note to yell at Reever for having enough free time to complain to Lenalee. "—and your work's probably almost finished. Let's just meet up, all right? For old times' sake? The whole group's here."

"Is Mikk?" says Kanda flatly.

There is a pause. Kanda has seen everyone from the old crowd at some point over the last two and a half years except for Mikk, and he has no inclination to break the streak.

Lenalee sounds a bit upset when she responds, but Kanda isn't exactly sure why.

"No, he's not."

Relief fills Kanda.

"Fine. I'll be there in five."

* * *

Anita Li is probably one of the most unorthodox psychiatrists in the city of New York. She can't for the life of her understand why she's breaking a million codes of conduct to be Mimi Silavand's friend, but Mimi, if anything, is interesting, and in many ways reminds her of the same unorthodoxy that Anita so slyly slips into her practice.

Anita's never been the typical Chinese girl though. True, she has her M.D./Ph.D. and is pretty intelligent, if she says so herself, but she had her own wild days. Her first few years of college had been slightly crazy and more than once she'd been nearly arrested for some…shady business on the side, illicit drug use and whatnot, but Anita is far past her years of too wild living and is now a well-to-do, twenty-seven year old bachelorette.

When Anita meets with Mimi outside of the office, it's usually for lunch or a girls' night. She has seen Mira occasionally, as well as their suitemates Elle and Teresa, but usually Mimi likes to meet up with Anita on a one-to-one basis because Anita knows certain things about Mimi that the others don't.

That isn't to say that Anita knows _everything_ about Mimi—in fact, she's quite certain that Mimi hides much more from her than she lets on. Anita hopes to pin together the pieces that Mimi has dropped in times of great depression or drunkenness, but Mimi is a natural dodger-of-uncomfortable-questions and is consequently distant.

Anita is conscious of the surreptitious looks she is getting as she strides down the street, looking for the café that Mimi called to meet her at. She is elegantly beautiful and she knows it; this realization does not make her so much cocky as it does confident, and she enjoys to some limitation the amount of attention she garners.

"Anita!" calls Mimi outside a café. She waves as Anita comes over.

"Hello, Mimi," smiles Anita, sitting down across from her. She's pleased to see that a black coffee and carrot cake have already been set out for her. It seems to be Mimi's turn to treat her.

"How are you?" grins Mimi in that crooked way of hers. "Sorry I had to cancel our last appointment—I had a midterm the next day."

"No worries," replies the psychiatrist. "How'd it go? Hopefully better than last year? Your freshman year ended up in a wreck, after all."

Mimi frowns, clearly unimpressed with Anita's little jibe at the complete breakdown she'd had at the end of last semester.

"Outside your office, you're not my psychiatrist. Just a friend," says Mimi lightly.

"Mimi, I can only make fun of you since we are outside my office," replies Anita. "But really, how was it?"

Mimi shrugs. "It was easy. I guess I've learned how to manage my time better—I was too caught up with the partying last semester."

"And crying," reminds Anita.

Mimi frowns again. "Seriously, Anita…"

"I kid."

Mimi sighs, and her voice drops a few notches. "Anita, I actually need to ask your advice on something."

"…What?"

"It's Mira. I…I think I found out what she's been hiding."

Anita narrows her eyes. "What is it?"

Mimi takes a deep breath, disturbed. "I think she cuts herself."

Anita sighs, both in relief and exasperation. From the few times she's met Mira, she's had a hunch that the girl was really not that perfect as everyone made her out to be, and she had been preparing herself for the worst.

"How often?" asks Anita.

Mimi looks scandalized. "I don't know! I'm not sure if she still does, I've never actually seen her doing it. I just know that those little blades hidden in the bathroom aren't used for anything I know of…"

"Does she seem stressed? Disturbed?"

"Mira's…she's really composed," says Mimi. "I suppose she's a bit more tense when she's stressed, but it's not something I can notice all that easily."

"…Why don't you refer her to me?" suggests Anita. "I'll see if I can talk to her about it."

Mimi looks hesitant, and Anita remembers why.

"Ah. Right. None of your friends know you seek frequent psychological therapy."

"I just don't want to tell them—it'd be difficult to come up with a reason as to why I need it."

"To tell the truth," says Anita demurely, "I'm still not sure what triggers your meetings."

Mimi's eyes harden, and Anita realizes that she's not supposed to hint at these things.

In the sunlight, Mimi's features are thrown into greater contrast. Her high cheekbones overshadow her thin, almost sunken cheeks. Her tan, juxtaposed with the sunlight, seems not to be golden brown but instead just brown, less glowing than it normally seems. Her eyes, especially, do not seem as naturally hazel as they are but for some reason, hint at green. It is not the first time that Anita's noticed this discrepancy, but out of respect, keeps this observation to herself.

"Fine, we'll drop the subject," Anita sighs. "Get Mira to make an appointment with me—just say you know I'm a psychiatrist because we're friends from…back home, wherever home is for you."

"Iowa," deadpans Mimi.

"Fine, Iowa." She resists rolling her eyes at Mimi's obvious lie. "God knows I would never live in Iowa…but anyway, she may not be in that big of a trouble, it might just be an infrequent habit."

"All the same…"

"I understand, I'll figure it out."

Mimi looks relieved at this. "Thanks, Anita. It's just that I don't know why Mira would be depressed, you know? I guess I could understand because her parents are really strict, but I figured because she made her own decision to come to NYU that she might be…I guess liberated, in a sense."

"A bit like you, you mean?" suggests Anita. Mimi's expression changes again. "Don't look so wary, Mimi—I'm not stupid. It's easy to deduce that you left your parents for a life on your own—do you think it's liberating?"

"I'm twenty-one next semester, Anita," says Mimi with uncustomary coldness. "If it's not liberating, I'm at least independent."

"But Mira's not like you," says Anita. "I don't know what kind of parents you have, or what happened between you and your dad, but you've already had your fair share of independence before college. Life doesn't work that way most of the time—Mira comes from a sheltered home in Cali where the most difficulty she's ever had is academically related—petty as it sounds, it's incredibly psychologically taxing. She thought coming here would complete her independence, but she's having second-thoughts. Look, Mimi, Mira's a genius. She's lived her entire life believing that she's meant for Harvard—things are different for her at NYU though. She's wondering if she made the right choice, breaking away from tradition and trying to find something she wants to live for."

"…No wonder you're a psychiatrist," exhales Mimi. She runs a hand through her hair.

"It's something I had to go through too," admits Anita. "But don't worry, all right? This is something I can identify with Mira on, and I'll take care of her as well as I can."

Mimi gives a weary smile and nods, clearly grateful. Anita feels a bit bad. She wishes that she could take care of Mimi a little better as well, but she can't do that much because Mimi is much too reserved for Anita. Even in the multiple times Anita has seen Mimi drunk—in fact, she can swear that she's seen Mimi drunk more times than her friends have—Mimi does not say that much about who she really is, where she comes from.

Anita realizes that Mimi is entering one of her quiet moments and is slightly worried—Mimi has had wonderful composure this semester so far but seems prone to relapse. She decides to pull Mimi out of it with her own bit of confidential scandalous news.

"Hey…Mimi, I wanted to tell you something but you absolutely can't tell anyone else, all right?"

"Certainly," nods Mimi, visibly curious. Rightfully so, because Anita hardly confides in anyone.

"You know how I've never been really interested in a partner, right? I'm all for the casual fling but haven't really met the right person for a long-term relationship. But back when I was in grad school at Columbia, I fell in love with the only guy I've…well, ever fallen in love with. He's a tad older than I am, maybe around twelve years—"

"That's _a tad_?"

"You know how I don't care about these miniscule details, Mimi," says Anita casually with a wave of her hand. "We were in a relationship for a year before he left, and though we've kept correspondence over the years, it's been nothing bigger than a casual hook-up whenever he visits."

It is clear that Mimi doesn't like the sound of this man.

"Stop looking like that, Mimi, he's a wonderful person. What I'm getting at is that he's planning on living in New York for a while, and we've decided to start the relationship again."

Mimi looks dubious.

"Congrats, Anita. But…why can't you tell anyone again?"

Anita sighs. "Because…he's a celebrity…sort of…more or less a very celebrated photographer."

Mimi's eyes widen infinitesimally.

"Who?" she says warily.

Anita smiles. "Cross Marian."

* * *

Mira Chang can't decide what she thinks of Mimi Silavand. Yes, they are probably best friends at NYU, and though she likes Elle and Teresa as well, she can't spend more than a few hours with them without getting annoyed. Mimi is less easily offended, which is why Mira can tolerate her for longer…but Mira isn't comfortable with how much Mimi knows about her, especially when the knowledge isn't reciprocated.

She's glad that Mimi did notice her bouts of depression, and Anita has been a great help, but Mira can't help but feel too vulnerable around Mimi now. Mimi knows a lot about her—but not the other way around. Mimi, in fact, has become even more distant, since, perhaps, she met with Anita for lunch to tell her about Mira's "little problems." She's on edge, doesn't go out much even though her exams are pretty much done, and has stopped eating again.

Mira gives a sigh, puts her analytical chemistry textbook down, and walks over to Mimi's bed, where she's lying with her sociology book propped open in front of her.

"Hey, Mimi," says Mira.

"Mm?" Mimi doesn't look up.

"Let's go out."

Mimi turns to her, surprised.

"You have an exam tomorrow," she says.

"Yeah. So do you," deadpans Mira.

"…Why do you want to go out?" she returns cautiously, sitting up. "I only have sociology tomorrow but you have A-chem…"

"It's in the afternoon," shrugs Mira, stalking over to her closet and throwing the door open.

"Mine's in the morning."

"Come on, Mimi," says Mira angrily, "can't you tell when I'm trying to help you?" Mira sees her roommate's expression shift and feels all the more irritated. "I don't know what's wrong with you, but I figured going out would be better than sitting here and sulking all night."

Mimi looks exasperated and grateful all at the same time. "Mira—"

"Stow it. I'm going to get piss drunk tonight, so when A-chem kicks me in the ass tomorrow—"

"It's not," says Mimi mechanically. "Besides, you set the curve on all three midterms."

Mira privately agrees because there's absolutely nothing she can get out of her textbook any longer. Regardless, she tosses a black dress that she borrowed from Mimi before at her.

"You can start getting ready. I'll tell Elle and Teresa that we're going out with them."

* * *

"Holy shit!" laughs Elle over the booming bass of the club music. "It's so hot in here!" Her blonde hair is slightly damp from sweat, but the waterproof eyeliner that Mira gave her for her birthday seems to be holding up perfectly fine.

"It's the guys," says Teresa as she scans the crowd. "Oh my gosh, there's a ginger right there—maybe I'll go ask him if we're related—"

Teresa is seriously drunk already, and Elle is more than tipsy. Mira could always hold her alcohol better than her suitemates, but it's still funny watching them laugh without inhibitions at the silliest things. Teresa disappears from them as she makes her way over to her redhead soulmate, and soon Elle is dragged away by her boyfriend to dance.

Mira glances at Mimi, whose face is already in what Mira likes to call "club mode." It's impassive, nonchalant, but hints at seduction—something about Mimi's face must appeal to men because she gets hit on quite a lot; the two of them are often hit on in pairs.

"Drink?" suggests Mira partly because she's not gone enough, partly because there's something off about Mimi's "club mode" impassiveness.

Mimi nods silently and the two of them make their way over to the bar. Mimi flashes a fake ID and buys both of them the same drink. They sit there, drinking wordlessly, almost serenely, when suddenly Mira feels someone's hand gloss down her back.

She snaps up and turns around, furious that someone has so blatantly taken advantage of her backless dress, only to come face to face with someone she could swear she knows.

For some reason, her mind blanks out. His face is one that she definitely has seen before—seen multiple times, actually, but all words fail her. She has quite possibly never seen someone so beautiful. A perfectly chiseled jaw line, flawless pale skin, narrow eyes that gleam even in the dim lighting of the club.

Mira realizes that never once has she actually been speechless in the presence of another person's greater beauty.

"Sorry," he says indifferently, "my hand slipped."

Mimi, who has been spacing out this entire time, suddenly shuffles upon hearing him speak. His gaze flickers to her, but Mimi seems to be staring determinedly ahead. When his eyes return to Mira, though, Mimi is raptly listening to their conversation.

"I'm sorry," says Mira, finally recovering her ability to speak, "you look really familiar. Who are you again?"

"…Are you serious?" he says in a completely condescending tone, and this immediately makes Mira banish any thoughts she had about him being remotely attractive.

"I really am," says Mira, her expression now twisted as if she is talking to a flea.

"…My face is plastered all over New York," he says in that same tone. "Are you an idiot?"

Mira glares. "Clearly not. What, are you so important that people are supposed to recognize you wherever you go? Even if you are famous, it's probably a very useless kind of famous because I can successfully recognize any person who actually makes a contribution to the world—you know, like all the members of Congress, even if their contribution is somewhat corrupt and mundane—"

"He's Yuu Kanda," says Mimi, finally turning around. She is sporting a broad grin.

The name rings a bell. Mira must have seen it before on some sort of billboard. Or in those silly Vogue magazines that Elle leaves lying around in the bathroom.

Yuu Kanda's eyes widen as he hears Mimi speak, but when he looks at her face, he seems somewhat confused. Wary, even. As if the face and the voice don't match.

"Oh, my gosh," laughs Mimi in a flirtatious voice that Mira swears she's never heard her employ before. "I just can't believe it! I thought it was you, but didn't really think you'd be in, you know," she gestures around, "in this kind of club! Like, what the hell, aren't you supposed to be partying up on the Upper East side?"

"Change of pace," says Kanda lightly, and his eyes are transfixed to Mimi's face. Mira is growing slightly apprehensive of his continuous stare. There is something about their dynamic that makes her very wary of things.

Mimi continues to act strangely. "My God, you're so hot. Even hotter in person. So _that's_ why the club's so hot—because you're in it!"

Mira could slap Mimi for her absolute stupidity. Mimi is not this stupid—she would never have befriended her if she were. But Mimi seems completely enraptured in this façade—she is playing drunk, stupid, and uninhibited.

The act goes one step further. Mimi leans out of her seat and takes a hold of Yuu Kanda's tie, grabbing it and pulling him forward. He stumbles slightly and is forced to balance himself by setting his hands on either side of Mimi's chair. Their faces are inches apart from each other, and Mira could swear that the next step is a kiss. She feels indignant; after all, Kanda had approached _her_ first, and though his personality doesn't amount to much, that doesn't really matter in wordless making out. Besides, he's fucking hot.

But then Mimi does something unexpected—she pushes him back slightly, smirking all the while as he looks increasingly confused.

"Why the hell is Yuu Kanda partying with us _commoners_?" says Mimi, her voice so loud it could easily have been heard a few feet away.

Kanda's eyes widen and anger laces his face. It is clear to Mira that Kanda had come with all intents and purposes of not being discovered—a really stupid idea, especially since he'd approached her with the clear expectation that she know who he was—and that Mimi is only exacerbating his situation. But Mimi seems to be doing this purposely, because under all the pretense of being drunk, she has a hard glint in her eye, one that is nearly malicious. It is because of this glint that Mira does not interfere, even as Kanda is swearing and other girls are clamoring around them. Teresa finds her way to them first and she wraps her arms around Kanda, clearly drunk and laughing as she drags him off of Mimi.

It takes Mimi less than three seconds to stand up and leave amidst the chaos. She brushes against Mira, fighting her way through the crowd that is quickly accumulating around Kanda. Mira follows her immediately, suddenly regretting the decision for the two of them to come out on a night before exams and cursing herself for her sorry attempts to make Mimi feel better. She isn't sure what's going on with Mimi, but she knows that she's even less happy than she was before, and this Kanda bastard has something to do with it.

Mimi is way farther ahead of Mira by the time she gets out of the club. Mira glances up and down the street, noting with a low "Fuck" that it is raining, and spots Mimi ahead. She runs up to her as fast as she can in her heels, which is difficult because Mimi is gliding in her heels at a solid pace, undeterred by the slow downpour.

"Mimi!" shouts Mira. "Mimi, slow down—it's not safe!"

Mimi slows down to a stop and Mira, panting, stops a few steps behind her. Mimi's shoulders are slightly hunched and shaking. Mira approaches her uncertainly, thinking for certain that Mimi is crying, but when she gets closer, she realizes that Mimi is making little noises.

Noises close to laughs.

And suddenly Mimi throws her head back and laughs so hard that she is clutching her stomach and leaning against the railing of some stairs to an apartment building. Her laughter is uninhibited but unhappy. Mira can only stare at her uncertainly, almost frightened.

It is the first time that Mira has ever thought of Mimi as severely unhinged.

* * *

"It's not her," says Kanda, his voice scratchy over the phone.

Lavi Bookman frowns as he looks over the night view of Paris from his room in the Ritz. He doesn't bother to lower his voice as he replies even though a beautiful blonde actress is fast asleep on the bed.

"You sure?"

"Look, Bookman," says Kanda, angry. "I just got mauled by a bunch of fucking idiots—I think I've made myself pretty clear—it's not her."

"…I dunno," says Allen from the other end of the line. "Cross-shishou seemed pretty sure."

"Marian was probably drunk. He probably also thinks all Asians look alike," snaps Kanda.

"That's not true, I hear he's dating an Asian psychiatrist there. What's weird is that he didn't give us any more details than that," says Lavi thoughtfully.

"…I think he doesn't want her to be found either," says Allen honestly. "I think…well, I know he's been complaining about he didn't wring her out of the potential she had but…but maybe after seeing her, he thought she deserved to be left alone. And only told us out of obligation—"

"Because we've been looking for nearly three years," snarls Kanda. "I'm going to find her sorry ass and drag her back, thank you, and just because Marian thinks she _deserves _to be left alone doesn't mean I do."

There is a collective pause. Lavi speaks again.

"I want answers from her as well. She can't disappear just because she feels like it. Because she can't deal with it."

Another pause, because Lavi knows his words carry weight.

"I'll look into this myself," he says finally. "When I confirm everything, I'll fly to wherever she is and bring her back."

"…Let me know when you do," says Kanda coldly.

"…Me too," says Allen.

"Well, then, gentlemen," says Lavi wryly, "we hereby agree to bring Rei Matsumomo back to her rightful place—among us—and try her for various counts and judge her as we see fit."

"Hold on, Lavi," says Allen warningly. "What the hell are you charging her for?"

Lavi has to think about it for a minute. It's hard for him to find the proper words. He speaks again, and there is no little bit of irony in his tone.

"Abandoning ship."

* * *

_**free talk**:_

_i thought i'd give present tense a try. this is a transition chapter for the time skip, so the tense isn't going to be permanent. i think i write better in past anyway, but it certainly gives a different feel._

_for those of you who were wondering: kanda is winning in the poll by about 10 votes. _

_all other thoughts will be on the livejournal. thanks for reading and please review! i've been updating quickly. :)  
xoxo,  
__m.n _


	45. Re:Stacking Loads

**Chapter 2: Re:Stacking Loads**

* * *

_"I've twisting to the sun I needed to replace,  
The fountain in the front yard is rusted out.  
All my love was down  
in a frozen ground."_

**- Bon Iver. _"re: Stacks"_**

* * *

It was shortly after what Mira liked to call "The Incident" happened when Mimi started to see Eric Selssen. Mimi, who had never before wanted a long-term relationship with someone, suddenly started going out with someone whom Mira considered to be the biggest dickhead that she'd ever met in her entire life. Selssen had been in her Psychoanalysis of Libido course, and it was clear that he didn't have two intelligent words to string together that _wasn't_ about sex. Even on the matter of sex, he was an idiot, completely immature, and liked to guffaw at all "That's what she said" jokes, even when they weren't remotely clever.

Out of respect and after seeing Mimi turn down so many offers to go out, Mira held her tongue and didn't express her own thoughts about Selssen when they became an item. Mimi, after all, wasn't stupid, and she therefore _had_ to see something in Selssen that Mira didn't.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

If anything, Mimi was bored with Selssen. She was silent in the times that Mira saw them together, her face impassive as always and slightly superior. Mira could tell that she found him annoying, impulsive, and in many cases, degrading. The man was a misogynist of such caliber that Aristotle seemed benevolent in comparison. That was the one thing about him that pissed Mira off to no end—his words bordered abusive, and for some bizarre reason, Mimi didn't do anything about it. She just stared at him, her expression somewhat exasperated but more condescending than anything, and this feature apparently infuriated Selssen to no end because he would launch an entirely re-energized tirade that was just a rehashing of the same old insults: whore, bitch, slut, and worse. And though the words were cliché to some extent, Mira couldn't stand them, nor the lackadaisical manner to which Mimi responded to them.

She confronted her roommate after weeks and much to her surprise, Mimi wasn't insulted by Mira's passionate tirade in the slightest.

"He's a dickhead, Mimi."

Mimi shrugged. "I agree."

"He's fucking ugly."

Mimi nods. "I have noticed that as well. He resembles an ape slightly, doesn't he?"

"He puts the frattiest frat guy to shame. I'm friends with his brothers, Mimi, and _they_ even think he's a dick. He takes sexism to an entirely new level."

"Mm."

Mira stared at her. Her friend's expression didn't change, causing Mira to finally throw her hands up in the air out of frustration.

"So what? Why are you dating him then? He's a jackass!"

"Yeah," said Mimi, mindlessly flipping the page of Italian Vogue issue that she was looking at. It sported a redhead with an eye-patch on the cover. "It's fine, Mira, I already broke up with him. I was just waiting for a reason to."

"Did you even need a reason?" said Mira darkly.

"No, I suppose not. But he would've just followed me around if I did it that simply. It's okay, he made out with Emily Chauncer the other night—I dumped him right after Elle told me."

"Then why'd you go out with him in the first place?"

Mimi shrugged. "He was the first guy who asked me out after I decided I wanted a boyfriend. And I heard he was good in bed." She made a face. "What a lie. Totally incompetent."

Mira frowned.

"Relax, Mira. What's done is done." Mimi flipped the page again and paused. Her lips seemed to purse together.

"What is it?" said Mira warily.

"Nothing," said Mimi. "Want to get dinner?"

She set down the magazine and left to her room. Mira glanced down at the open pages on the table—one sported an entire page full of text, the other with a picture of the cover model. He was half-sprawled on the sofa, his long limbs precariously dangling over the edge, his hand pushing up his hair, his lips parted in a smirk.

Mira decided that the eye-patch made him look like an idiot.

* * *

It was a few months after Kanda had told Lavi that Cross's information was wrong that Lavi actually got in touch with Cross himself.

"It wasn't her," said Lavi without preamble. "Kanda went to go check, and he was one hundred percent positive that it wasn't her. I figured that out of all of us, Kanda could recognize her."

"There were probably a million people in that club," said Cross, sounding bored. "He must've missed her."

"He said there was only one Asian girl there who seemed along the lines of Rei's profile—he said it definitely wasn't her, though, and the girl he found was taller."

"So?"

"What do you mean, so?" said Lavi, annoyed. "She was Chinese, at that. Kanda said he could tell."

"Rei doesn't look remotely Asian now."

Lavi was silent as he absorbed this information. He was tempted to doubt Cross. Everything about Rei being in New York did not make the slightest bit of sense. Why choose New York City—the most notorious city in the world for its paparazzi—to hide? Rei had not even graduated high school—how could she have gotten into college? Where would she get the money, anyway?

And the profile that Cross had reluctantly spelled out for her was so very unlike Rei. Cross said that she got drunk often, partied hard, and hooked up frequently. She'd become a normal American teenager.

"How are you so sure it's her?" said Lavi finally.

"A photographer doesn't forget," replied Cross. "Her bone structure, especially in the photo that I took of her and Kanda, is incredibly distinctive. The first time I saw her bump into Anita, her hair was tied up in a ponytail—it was obvious."

"Which means you probably know where she lives, and who she is now," said Lavi coolly. "Why aren't you telling us?"

"I've gotten the best shot in my career out of her. I don't need anything else from her."

"It's not a matter of needing her for work," snapped Lavi. "We're looking for her because—"

"Because what, Bookman? You need answers from her? You want to shove it in her face that Mikk is high every minute of the day and drunk every night? You want to tell her that he's fucked every girl in showbiz?"

"That's not—"

"Leave her alone," said Cross. "She's changed enough for me to know that she wants to be left alone."

"Ho, surprisingly considerate of you, Cross Marian," said Lavi. "Unfortunately, I can't do that. I have answers I want to get from her, and she owes them to me."

"Like what? What precisely do you want to hear from her, Bookman? That she killed Kate?"

"I want to know precisely what she found out that made her leave," he answered clearly. "I want to know who exactly is responsible for Kate's death, and I want to know exactly what was so crucial about it that she left Mikk like that."

"Then make Mikk look for her. In the meantime, I'm going to give her a heads-up so she can run for it."

"What the hell, Marian?"

"Good luck."

The line disconnected. Lavi cursed under his breath.

Sometimes he didn't know how badly he wanted to track Rei down, and for what reasons at that. This indecisiveness was precisely why he'd waited so long to even bother telling Cross that he'd tried to find her.

But the most discouraging thing was Mikk's complete ambivalence to whether or not Rei was found. Passionate refusal to find her would've been more comforting than the indifference he exhibited; in the rare moments when Rei cropped up in their conversations, Mikk didn't bat an eye. He'd shrugged when Lavi mentioned that he may have found her; he'd politely declined when Lavi had asked if he wanted to be the one to fly to NYC and see if it was really her.

The British model sighed. He felt foolish trying so hard for a woman he very nearly hated.

* * *

Eric Selssen had been a mistake, clearly. She knew she was capable of dating much more interesting and much less abusive men, so she didn't know why she'd actually accepted him in the first place. For the distraction, she supposed. That much was obvious.

But perhaps seeing Kanda in that club one night reminded her that she was holding back on the one thing she could change to completely solidify her transition from the girl from back then to the woman she was now. So she suddenly found a boyfriend necessary, as if they were like the latest handbags in fashion, and accepted the first one to come. A mistake, perhaps, but at least she got over the awkward stage in which she had to remember what she was supposed to do as a girlfriend and mime the appropriate actions when there was no emotion involved.

It was a week after she'd split with Eric when she met Jason Kim at, ironically, Eric's frat's party. He was a chill, kind Korean guy, one grade older than she was, whom she'd actually never seen before—they exchanged numbers and began dating soon after.

It took them a month to break up. She admitted that she was a bit sad that they hadn't even lasted as long as she and Eric had, but it was because Jason actually had enough consideration to break it off. His reasoning:

"You're beautiful, Mimi. But you're distant. It makes it difficult for me to connect with you…I like you, but it's not enough for me to go on feeling depressed that I'm trying to make a conscious effort and not reaping any rewards."

She thought that he'd meant physical, bodily rewards. Jason frowned at this suggestion.

"That's not what I meant. I…I mean, you're great, er, physical intimacy-wise…but I meant the emotional connect. I know, it sounds stupid, but it's…it's that chemistry aspect, you know."

She'd concluded that Jason was much too cheesy for her liking, but they'd parted on good terms, and went their separate ways. It took a week, and she started hooking up with a guy in her math class, and sooner than later, her total number of exes totaled up to six. Mira had intervened before she got around to number seven:

"Mimi, seriously. I don't care if you hook up with a million people because you're using each other for the same purpose: physical release, but dating is a different story. Get a hold of yourself—think a little bit more before you say 'yes' next time. And make sure they're not another Selssen—total dickhead."

Tonight, though, she was alone in the apartment—Mira had gone on a date with Kai, her boyfriend for half a year, and would be sleeping over at his apartment. The quiet was much appreciated, and she felt relaxed, surreal. No need for pretenses when she was alone.

She lied on her bed, her desk lamp shining on her untouched textbooks. Her junior year had just begun, and yet she found herself even less motivated to study than she'd ever been before. It was partially because she wasn't sure what to do after graduation—graduate school sounded appealing, but she didn't know if she could afford it. The financial aid for undergraduate had saved her, but it wasn't practical for her to think that she could get the same amount for future years.

The biggest issue, though, was that even after nearly three and a half years of hiding, trying, lying, changing, she felt empty. The impassiveness that infuriated Mira was not an act—she truly felt passionless about absolutely everything: school, men, life in general.

It had also been much harder to stay sane after she'd stopped going to see Anita. Ever since Anita had told her that she was dating Cross…she hadn't seen Anita in months. She missed the psychiatrist, but she wouldn't risk it. Cross was probably the least likely to recognize her, but…there was always a chance. It had been such a bad twist of events…to think that Cross would actually date someone so much younger than he was…she didn't know what was stranger: that Anita was twelve years younger, or that Cross would date at all.

She sat up from her bed and stared at her reflection in the mirror that hung across the room. She'd gotten used to brown hair now; it was dyed frequently and meticulously, because she wouldn't dare let the black roots show. But the green eyes came somewhat as a surprise. She'd allowed herself to take out the contacts, to let her eyes breathe a bit, but after leaving them in, even sleeping them in for so long, she could've even forgotten that she had green eyes at all.

She unconsciously smirked. In the reflection, her face contorted in an odd way, the hollow cheeks obvious and shadowed, and with her eyes really showing now, she looked cold, frightening, even.

_Who are you?_

The question always cropped up when she looked in the mirror. Who did she think of herself as? What did she call herself?

Here she was, now twenty-one years old, and as clueless as she ever was.

She fell back down on the mattress. She preferred not to think about it. She was always like this. It was just easier for her to run away from these issues.

The question mark lingered in the air like the remnant smoke of Mira's cigarettes.

* * *

"Mimi!"

She looked up from her task—trying to open her P.O. box—as Elle ran over to her quickly.

"Where were you today?" said the blonde. "The professor noticed you were gone—she wanted to compliment your paper in class."

She blinked.

"He did?"

Elle nodded excitedly. "Yeah, it was great! You should go see him later—but in the meantime, wanna grab lunch? I've got half an hour before psych."

"Yeah, sure," she nodded, "let me get my mail…"

She toggled with the lock and the door finally opened. She began to take out the sheets one by one.

"Financial aid receipt…schedule a meeting with your advisor…" she read off, "did that already…hm?"

There was a final sheet stuffed in the back of the box. With some difficulty, she extracted it and smoothed it out in front of her.

Her heart stopped beating.

Elle peered over her shoulder.

"Hm? Hey! It's Yuu Kanda's super famous picture. And…Rei something, right? Matsu? Matsumo? That doesn't sound quite right…but why'd someone send it to you?"

Her hands were shaking quite visibly, but she stuffed the picture away under the rest of her mail.

"It was probably a mistake," she said. "But…I better go see the professor now instead of later, it'll be easier to apologize early. Sorry, Elle."

"Aw, oh well," said Elle with a small pout. "Dinner then?"

"Mm. I think Mira wants to eat out tonight—you up for it?"

"Yeah, except can we not do Chinese again? I know Mira misses home and all, but if I eat one more fish with its head intact—"

"Gotcha," she smiled, strained to keep her composure. "I'll let Mira know."

Elle grinned and waved in goodbye as she quickly stalked out of the building. Her heart had stopped beating earlier, but now was palpitating furiously. She ducked to the pathway behind building and, shaking, turned the traitorous photograph over in her hands, certain that there was a note.

It was written in black Sharpie in a handwriting that she didn't seem to recognize. That relieved her initially—she knew Kanda's and Tyki's handwriting, and allowed herself to pray that this really was just a fluke, a misdirected letter….

But the message was clear enough.

_RM.  
December 8, 12:30pm, café that you met with Anita at.  
CM._

Initials were pointless—it couldn't have been more obvious. How he knew that she was going to check her mail was beyond her. She had fifteen minutes to get to the café.

She debated not going. He might have just been bluffing, trying to see if it were actually her.

But she knew that she was just kidding herself, that Cross was absolutely certain, and for some reason, she was relieved to know that Cross Marian still remembered her.

* * *

Cross had thought against bringing Anita to meet with Rei, but in the end, it seemed like it would be a good idea. She would be a good buffer and communicator between the two of them, and though Cross hadn't told anything about Rei's identity to Anita yet, it was growing difficult to hide the reason behind his interest in one of her former patients. She was a mature and understanding woman and seemed to know automatically that it wasn't a romantic interest, but she was still politely curious.

So Cross invited Anita out on the pretense of just a normal lunch. He glanced at his watch expectantly as the waiter served them their coffees.

"Are you waiting for someone, Cross?" inquired Anita.

"Mm…you'll see," he said pensively. "I'm not sure if she'll show."

"Who?"

But Cross spotted her from a distance. She did not dress inconspicuously; her long hair was tied up in a high ponytail, strict and baring her boned face that was made all the more narrow by her black Ray Bans. Her lips were a glossy red that matched the color of her trench coat. Her legs were lengthened by the high heeled boots she wore, and as she came closer, Cross noted that everything she wore was name brand. She attracted the surreptitious glances of others, but she walked with a stride of one possessed with confidence. It was a stride very contrary to the one Rei had had four years before—but it seemed like the confidence stemmed from another place entirely.

She seemed to find him easily—his red hair had always given him a problem when he wanted to travel incognito—and strode over to the side of their table. Anita, who had not seen her up to this point, looked up at her in surprise.

"Mimi!"

"Hey, Anita."

"Where the hell have you been—I thought you were angry at me or something, you just stopped contacting me at all and…" Anita's sentence trailed off as she noticed the continuous stare Cross was giving Rei.

"Do you two…know each other?" said Anita cautiously.

"It's been a while," said Rei as she took off her glasses, revealing brown eyes. "We can get right down to the only reason I came though—how'd you know it was me?"

"Sit down, Rei," said Cross. "I'm not here to expose you."

Anita looked confused, but she didn't interfere. Cross loved this woman's intuition.

Rei sat down in one fluid movement, but she ignored the bread basket that was proffered to her and simply stared him down.

"Answer the question," she said silkily. "How'd you know it was me?"

"You underestimate a photographer's ability to identify his models," replied Cross, shrugging and eating the bread himself. "It'd take you a lot more than dyed hair and color contacts to throw me off…"

"I really should've gone for plastic surgery."

"Don't bother. You already look…well, what can I say. Preposessing."

Anita raised her eyebrows at this comment. Rei noticed and stepped forward to clear up any misconceptions.

"What he means is that I look better than I did four years ago," she said.

"And how did you know each other four years ago, may I ask?"

Rei looked uncomfortable at this question, expected though it was. She did not seem to be able to form the statement, even in her own head. So Cross answered in her place.

"She's Rei Matsumomo."

"…And?" said Anita, still bemused.

"…Do you even know who that is?"

"No, not really."

"Anita, I thought you followed my photographs."

"Yes, well, it's really not like you take pictures of poignant things about the world, like people starving in Africa or—"

"Do you remember the picture of Yuu Kanda that I took? It won Picture of the Year."

It clicked for Anita. "Oh." She looked at Rei. Her eyes widened infinitesimally. "_Oh_."

"Yes," nodded Cross. "That's her."

Anita stared at Rei silently for a moment.

"So you're a celebrity," said Anita finally. "That's why you never told me anything."

Rei nodded stiffly.

There was another silence before Anita burst out laughing in quite evident relief. Rei looked somewhat bewildered at this response—she had clearly been bracing herself for the worst—and ventured an inquiry.

"Er…what's so funny?"

"It's not so much funny," said Anita as she grew more somber, "as it is a relief to hear that it wasn't anything more serious than that. Ah…" she sighed and ran a hand through her hair, "you should've heard the theories I was coming up with…I speculated that because of your frosty relationship with your dad, you'd been abused as a child and ran away, and that he had killed your mom or something…and then I thought that your nonchalance for relationships was because of a sexual assault and…well, I suppose I'm glad I was wrong."

"You have a penchant for assuming the worst," remarked Cross mildly.

Anita shrugged. "It's preps me for my job."

"Which you do a terrible job of."

Anita smiled affectionately at him and then turned to Rei.

"So is that why you stopped contacting me? After you heard I was dating Cross, you didn't want to risk a run-in?"

"Truthfully speaking, I thought Cross was the least likely person out of the group to recognize me, but all the same, I…it wasn't worth it."

Anita nodded understandingly. "I suppose you two would like some time alone."

"Please," said Rei.

"No, stay," said Cross at the same time.

Rei narrowed her eyes at him.

"Anita, please."

"Certainly," she said, kissing Cross on the cheek in farewell before standing up. "Mimi—er…"

Rei sighed, almost angrily, as if this were a problem that she didn't want to identify with. Cross raised his eyebrows expectantly.

"Well? What do you want her to call you?"

"She's always known me as Mimi," she answered. "That's not really important though—Anita, please keep the news to yourself."

"My lips are sealed," smiled Anita. "I'll see you two later then."

It was only after the psychiatrist had disappeared into the busy streets when Rei's body visibly relaxed. She crossed her legs and leaned back in her seat, surveying Cross.

"You've done well with yourself, I heard," she said quietly. "Thinking about retirement?"

"It's inevitable," he replied. "My genius has created some amazing works, if I do say so myself. Whether or not I want to continue being exploited by greedy companies is up to my own discretion."

"Do you like Anita?" said Rei bluntly.

"Certainly."

"No, Cross. I meant really."

"Enough to date her." He didn't expound upon it, but Rei seemed satisfied.

"I suppose we can get to the heart of the issue, then. When did you figure out it was me?"

It was not a conversation—it was an interrogation, and Cross was the suspect. Rei did not trust him; her body language spoke of one who desired nothing more than to be rid of his presence. Never before had Rei showed so much innate antagonism to him before. It was unsettling, but he chose his words carefully as he responded.

"A long time ago, actually," said Cross. "Ever since I started living in New York. I saw you from a distance when you bumped into Anita on the street—you didn't see me, but I got to stare at you for quite a bit while Anita tried to talk to you."

Rei frowned. "It's been almost a year since then. Why didn't you seek me out sooner?"

"…There was no reason to," said Cross quietly. "Your desire to remain hidden was clear enough to me."

"…So you left me alone just because I wanted to stay alone?" said Rei bitterly. "Considerate, Cross."

"I, unlike the others, believe that perhaps you deserve to disappear if that's what you wanted."

Rei's eyes softened. "Thank you."

"Don't bother. I've done no little bit of harm myself—the reason I finally came to see you was to let you know that the others know you're here as well."

Shock seized her expression. She nearly jumped out of her seat but managed to restrain herself. Instead, she gripped the edge of the table tightly and leaned forward slightly.

"How long? What are they going to do?"

"I cryptically told Bookman that I knew you were here when I first saw you a year ago," said Cross serenely.

Her eyes widened. "They've known I've been here? _For a year_?"

"Vaguely…or rather, they don't know _precisely_ who you are. I told you that you'd been Anita's patient. That was all."

"And they couldn't find me based on that?" said Rei incredulously.

"Anita sees many patients, Rei—"

"Cross, please," she interrupted. "Don't…don't call me that."

"…I don't want to call you Mimi. It's a stupid name."

"I like it," she said crossly.

"I'll call you what I want, kid. Anyway, they ended up tracking down some other Asian girl because she fit your physical profile—I don't think you realize, Rei, just how unrecognizable you are."

She smiled lightly. "My intentions exactly. I look great, don't I?"

There was a strong dose of irony in her statement.

"Model material."

Her smile widened to the point where it looked like a grimace. "Precisely."

"You don't have an ounce of muscle on you."

Her eyes gleamed with something that Cross could've sworn was triumph.

"I haven't worked out in all four years."

"Then the slimness?"

"Natural. I don't eat much either."

Her change was alarming. She seemed to be coldly proud of the drastic transition from what she had been to what she was now—it was not just the physical aspects that made her so different, but the entire attitude to which she proclaimed these facts. This was coming from a girl that Cross could've sworn ate as much as his idiot apprentice—actually, that wasn't physically possible, but it was something along those lines—and found working out to be a drug. He couldn't fathom it. He considered talking about it—it was possible that Rei was much more changed than he'd thought—but finally decided against it.

"All the same, Rei. They're going to find you, sooner or later. Bookman's hell-bent on dragging you back."

Rei's eyes flickered.

"Why in the world would he want me back? I thought he would just prefer thinking that I fell off the face of the earth—which Matsumomo Rei did precisely."

"That could have been true, but it seems that he wants answers from you. Mikk's conditions do not make him feel anymore comfortable about it."

Cross was watching her carefully at his last statement. He was not disappointed; Rei looked pained for a second before her face smoothed over.

"I see…he thinks that I'm the reason behind Tyki's…behavior," she said thinly.

Cross looked skeptically at her. "And you seriously don't think you aren't?"

"Of course I am," she scoffed. "I've been following news of Tyki like an obsessed fan—I was almost the first to know when he got his next girlfriend a month after I left, the first to know he'd been caught with prescription drugs, drunk driving, everything. I know exactly how he's been and I accept that…that I've played some part in it. And so…I've followed him faithfully."

She sounded hollow; Cross couldn't decide if her words sounded more self-loathing or superficial.

A cold silence ensued. Rei gazed out past the gates of the café and onto the sidewalk. She sighed quietly, wearily, as her little exhalations could relieve her of some unbearable weight.

"How long do you think I have until they find me?" she asked. "Do you think I can make it to graduation? It's just a year."

"…I don't know. It's actually been a few months since I last contacted Bookman—I meant to let you know earlier, but he didn't seem to be making a move…I chose to let you know anyway though."

"I see…"

"Are you going to disappear again?"

"What choice do I have?" she said resentfully. "Let myself be found? No, I better disappear again."

"…I won't stop you," he said slowly, "but I'm just going to say that…it's been four years already, Rei. When are you going to stop running?"

"I'm not running," she said immediately. "I'm…"

"…Is being famous that bad? Is your privacy worth all this effort?"

She looked confused at his statement.

"Being famous? Why would that…" Her expression changed, as if understanding had dawned on her, and then shifted to mortal offense. "_That's_ why they think I left? Because I couldn't deal with the paparazzi?" she said scathingly.

"What else?" said Cross, surprised with her reaction.

Rei scoffed and stood up, her profile slim yet imposing. "Who came up with that idea?"

"You left without notice and a reason," he said coldly. "They made the only assumption that seemed logical."

"Che." The noise came out to be one alarmingly similar to Kanda's signature noise of condescension.

"You shouldn't blame them."

"I was always at least stronger than that," she said icily.

"I don't think so," said Cross sharply. "Especially now."

She scoffed again and looked at him steadily. "I'm better now than I've ever been. Believe me."

* * *

He thought about her occasionally. It was probably more frequent than not.

He tried not to. It wasn't like he was making a conscious effort to remember her, but the smallest things reminded him of her existence. Someone's scarf could look like her eye color. Any Asian girl around her height looked similar from behind. It was the little things that sparked a small memory.

Tyki lived in London now, away from Lisbon where _her_ father resided with his wife of two years. Tyki had felt the familiar pangs of annoyance whenever he saw the two of them together—long had he realized that Lulu really did like Eiji to some degree—and this realization only soured his mood. Both times he had actually been in a committed relationship, he'd ended up with the short end of the stick.

Well, to hell with love. It could go fuck itself.

On the bright side, London was great. The girls were hot, the weather slightly rainy but ultimately cool, and the paparazzi generally left him alone. His family required him to go to some nobility parties and seduce some noblewomen for political purposes, which was honestly annoying and sometimes repulsive, but they otherwise left him to his own devices, which was all he needed. Road visited him occasionally from her designer internship in Paris, and was always prudent enough to never outlast her stay.

All the same, Tyki could not avoid occasional run-ins with the old crowd. He saw Lavi Bookman more often than he wanted to, but the two of them were often asked to collaborate and he could hardly say no, especially when he had no legitimate reason to avoid the redhead. He often saw Allen Walker and Cross Marian at their galas, but he only paused momentarily to give them a brief hello before trying to find someone else to distract his attention.

It was funny how long he'd gone without seeing Kanda. It seemed that the two of them were intentionally scheduling their activities to never coincide; one would announce that he was going to a showcase and the other would make a mental note not to go, and vice-versa. Petty though it was, Tyki was glad that they didn't have to see each other. She was the only thread that tied the two men loosely together, and it was clear that while Tyki was attempting to forget her, Kanda was attempting to find her.

He could not help but feel uneasy at Kanda's persistence. It always made him feel inferior—why, indeed, was Kanda trying to find her at all? He had just enough reason to try and forget her as Tyki did. The fact that he _was_ trying to actively find her only made Tyki pale in comparison, as if his emotions four years ago only stretched so far. And that at the end of the day, she had made the wrong choice because Kanda was still looking for her when Tyki couldn't have cared less.

He sometimes tried to imagine what he would say if they somehow did find her. If, perchance, he bumped into her on the side of the street. What would he say?

He would've just stared at her.

In wonder, probably.

He tried to imagine how he would feel. Angry? Stunned? Betrayed?

Or would he just feel numb, much like he felt now?

He attempted to recall how he'd felt when she'd given him that call. How he'd felt, staring at his phone like it was an abomination to mankind after the line had disconnected, the vague conclusion to something he had been so certain was just starting.

Or maybe he would feel something along the lines of that time he'd been in New York for a gathering that was honoring Kate. How he had turned around on a whim, and, tired of thinking that every Asian girl he saw looked like her, suddenly saw a glimpse of someone in the crowd who didn't look remotely like she did. Something about her had made him pause and stare at her though, as if her face was just…just _wrong_, in a way…but she'd turned around and disappeared before he could even comprehend what had just happened.

Tyki was certain that it had hurt. But now he just didn't seem to mind anymore.

They couldn't possibly find her anyway. When Rei wanted to disappear, he was invariably confident that she could remain hidden for as long as she wanted.

* * *

Mira was in a terrible mood as she walked back to her apartment. Kai was being an idiot. Undoubtedly handsome and smart though he was, Kai often exhibited the stereotypical Ivy League arrogance that his school required him to do, and Mira could not stand it. Of course she was offended when he was embarrassed as he introduced her to his friends as the NYU girl. Hell, she was smarter than all of them combined—she had made that point extremely clear when she'd finished his A-Chem practice exam with a perfect score. What a bastard.

Her phone rang incessantly as she climbed up the stairs. Mira glanced at it, saw her boyfriend's name, and silenced it; she responded on her own by immaturely stomping up each floor. She hoped that Mimi was home and hopefully not with another boy—she was getting sick of Mimi's self-destructive escapades.

Her phone rang again, and Mira cursed loudly.

"Kai, if you don't stop being such a whiny little bitch already—"

"Jeez, Mira," said Mimi's amused voice. "Check who's calling before you start a rampage, all right? It's me."

"Oh, good," she said in relief. "Sorry—Kai is…agh, I can't stand him sometimes. Are you back in the apartment? Let's go see a movie or something."

Mimi didn't answer for a second.

"Please don't say you found another guy," said Mira distastefully.

"I didn't, don't worry," said Mimi. "Keep the condescension to a minimum, would you?"

"…Sorry," she sighed, "I didn't mean it, I'm just annoyed."

"It's fine," said Mimi pleasantly. "I'll be back at the apartment in five minutes—I'm just picking up some things. We can just stay in and invite Elle and Teresa over for a girls' night if you want."

"Yeah, that sounds good. I'll call them."

"Mm, see you."

Mira entered her apartment and dialed Teresa's number—it would be a good change of pace to just have a girls' night, especially since Mimi seemed to be tired of her inability to find a guy she could take seriously, and Mira and Elle were both having problems with their boyfriends. Mira thought about it for a second. They seemed to be unbearably normal.

Teresa sounded pleased with the idea of a girls' night and assured that she and Elle would come over from their room below. Mira was just about to get something started on the stove when the doorbell rang.

She opened the door. "Damn, you guys just ran over here—"

She stared at the newcomers. Neither of them were Elle or Teresa. One was a very European looking male with the strangest white hair but an affable expression on his face; the other was his polar opposite, a tall and imposing Oriental male with the expression of a serial killer.

Her first reaction was to shut the door because the Asian male was positively terrifying.

Upon closer inspection, though, she realized that she actually recognized him.

"You!" Mira exclaimed, pointing at him. "You're the idiot who expected me to know who you were in the club!"

"Sounds just like you, Kanda," muttered the white-haired male with a pronounced British accent. "Expecting the world to revolve around you."

"Face it, bean sprout, anyone who _doesn't_ know my name is an idiot."

"The name's _Allen,_ for the umpteenth time, moron—"

"What the hell are you doing here?" said Mira rudely before his companion could retort.

Kanda ignored her and instead spoke to Allen. "It's not her."

Allen snorted. "Clearly not, unless you expected Rei to grow about five inches and turn Chinese in the meantime—what, did you actually mistake her for Rei in the club?"

"The fuck, bean sprout, I was making a comment—"

"I happen to be in a really bad mood and am certified in judo and karate," deadpanned Mira. "Either you two tell me what the fuck you want or get a black eye."

"She acts like her though," remarked Kanda, still ignoring her. "Violent and hot-tempered."

"Excuse us," said Allen hastily as Mira grew incensed. "My name's Allen Walker, the idiot's Yuu Kanda—we're looking for Rei Matsumomo."

Mira arched an eyebrow.

"I have no idea who that is."

"Actually, you do," said Kanda, visibly annoyed. Mira instinctively knew that she despised him. "You happen to live with her."

"I live with Mimi Silavand, whom you've met as well, douchebag."

Allen rounded on Kanda. "You've _met_ her?"

Kanda blinked. "I have?"

He was unbelievably stupid. Mira hated stupid people.

Before she could return with a scathing comment, though, there was a scream from the staircase. The three of them turned to see Elle and Teresa a few feet away from them; both were open mouthed and flushed.

"Yuu Kanda is standing five feet away from me," said Teresa dazedly.

"_Allen Walker_?" gaped Elle. "Holy shit—_Allen Walker_? Cross Marian's pupil? Genius of my major!"

"Would you two stop hyperventilating?" said Mira dully. "Get a grip on yourselves. Do you know who Rei Matsumomo is?"

Elle stared. "You're looking for Rei Matsumomo? As in…the girl who was with you all on the Chanel spread four years ago?"

"Why would you be looking here?" said Teresa. "Elle would know if she was here—she's studied those pictures to death."

"She doesn't look remotely like she did before, apparently," said Allen hopefully. "We heard that she lived here."

"Wait. Who said she didn't look anything like she did before?" said Kanda.

"Lavi. And Cross."

A light bulb visibly went off in Kanda's head. Mira voiced his realization for him, her tone none-too-kind.

"Yes. If you're looking for Mimi, that's the girl you met in the club. Unfortunately, I don't think you've got the right girl—Mimi isn't the girl you're looking for."

"Wait…" said Elle slowly. "You're looking for Mimi? You think she's Rei?"

Allen nodded. "Yeah, we've heard that she goes by Mimi Silavand now."

Understanding dawned on Elle's face. "…Are you serious?"

"Do you know something, Elle?" said Mira sharply.

"Mimi got a picture in the mail today," said Elle cautiously. "It was…Cross Marian's picture that won picture of the year, with Kanda and Rei as the models. She said that it was just a mistake…but…"

Kanda cast Allen a piercing gaze.

"Did you send that?"

"No," said Allen, bewildered. "Definitely not, that would just tip her off. Did Lavi?"

"I doubt it."

There was a unanimous pause. None of the girls seemed to have any idea what was going on.

"Cross Marian," said both Allen and Kanda at the same time.

There was a bang on the lower floor, and Mira, from her place at the door, suddenly saw that Mimi had been hiding on the staircase and listening this entire time.

"It's her," said Kanda quickly, making his way down the stairs.

All Mira saw was a flash of Mimi's brown hair as it disappeared from the staircase and out of sight. Allen and Kanda followed almost immediately, leaving the three girls dazed and confused in the hallway.

It occurred to Mira that the girls' night wouldn't be happening after all.

* * *

Shit, how did they find her so quickly? She had been planning on disappearing that night—she'd returned just to get her passport and her bags—_damn_ Cross for not warning her earlier, he'd had months!

She had not sprinted like this in years, other than to get to class—her legs were already burning by the time she got to the bottom of the stairs.

Kanda and Allen. Damn, damn, damn. They'd found her so quickly—she wished her clothes weren't so ostentatious—the jacket was too eye-catching.

She was half-running and half-taking off the jacket as she pushed open the door and turned right onto the sidewalk when a voice spoke behind her that made her halt instantly.

"Are you going somewhere, Rei?"

It was a voice with an accent much too British for her liking.

"You're not thinking of disappearing again, are you?"

Footsteps approached her slowly, the sound of boots crunching against the preparatory salt on the pavement. Her breath came in slow puffs of frightened smoke. Her blood froze with her feet, rooted to the ground. Running was no longer an option.

She turned around slowly, surprised to find him so close to her, a face that was plastered to Vogue magazine sprawled with its open pages on the floor of the restroom…

She was finally face to face with Lavi Bookman.

* * *

**free talk**:

_hi everyone! thank you for your kind words last chapter - i'm glad that the opening chapter of this second part was so welcomed. i have to apologize for renaming rei "mimi" - it seemed to cause no little confusion with mira. i admit that i was confused myself sometimes, but by the time i had finished the chapter, i didn't want to rename her! no worries though, it won't last long, she'll be back to rei next chapter. _

_well, i hope you enjoy this chapter. i think i've made lavi a bit too much of a "bad guy" but i think it works. there wasn't a lot of screen time for kanda and tyki, but that'll be modified next chapter. as always, there's going to LJ stuff if you're interested. not much about the poll has changed, if you were wondering._

_i'll update soon, so please review! :)  
xoxo,  
__m.n _


	46. Advent of Recollection

**Chapter 3: Advent of Recollection**

* * *

_"Less fast, I don't know your name  
But with you, it's just all the same  
Went away for a night and day  
Stayed till late, too, from the wait."  
_

_- _**Sin Fang Bous. **"Advent in Ives Garden"

* * *

Ever since she had become Mimi, her personality had become extremely extroverted and affable. Conversation flowed to her easily, small talk was a nuisance but necessary, and she ultimately found that her change from the awkward girl of eighteen was so drastic that she really had become a different person at twenty-two.

But now that she was staring at Lavi, words didn't come as easily as they did before. She had reverted back to her eighteen year old self, stumbling and socially inept in the face of these models who seemed so much more important than she was. Lavi did not ease the conversation, instead letting the silence linger after his accusation, his face cold and unnerving.

She unconsciously took a step back, wanting to alleviate the tension that was solidifying between the mere inches that separated the two of them. Just as she did, the door to her complex burst open and someone went crashing into her.

"Fuck, no, you're not running again!"

Caught off guard, she snapped like a twig to the ground, colliding with the hard pavement, the pain only doubled as someone fell on top of her.

She found her voice out of sheer incredulity.

"Get _off_, Kanda!"

"We've been searching for four fucking years—if you think you can just run—"

"I wasn't running!" she bellowed at his face, struggling to escape from under him. She had grown much weaker in the years—either that, or Kanda had become infinitely bigger, and her efforts were soon exhausted.

"Seriously, Ba-Kanda," said Allen as he walked over to them, his expression humored by the site in front of him, "you just tackled her. She's not going anywhere—she can't outrun us in those heels anyway. Get up, you're killing her."

"Serves her right," muttered Kanda as he finally stood up. "Damn, that hurt."

Allen offered a hand out to her.

"Sorry about that," he said cheerily. "You should remember how Kanda thinks with everything but his brain—don't begrudge him for it."

She did not laugh as she took Allen's hand and let him pull her up. Her side throbbed painfully—she was going to have one big bruise tomorrow.

An awkward silence ensued as the four of them simply stared at each other. Allen looked politely bewildered, but the other three had expressions that certainly did not display the happiest of emotions. Lavi looked sternly cold, Kanda looked annoyed, and she was murderous.

"Let's go inside," said Lavi finally. "We three managed to do the impossible and get into New York without anyone knowing—now if you can make your friends keep quiet, that would be great."

"Do it yourself," she all but hissed. "Bribe them, kiss them, I don't know, what did you promise Cross so that he'd wait until the last minute to tell me that you three knew where I was?"

"Let's go inside," said Lavi firmly.

"No, Bookman, if you don't want to be exposed to every single news reporter in this city you'll tell me _now_—"

"You're as annoying as ever," Kanda said exasperatedly. "Would you just get in the damn building?"

"You—"

"Forget it," he said under his breath, "I forgot that you were deaf to all requests. In that case…"

He took one quick step towards her and she took one simultaneously away.

"Don't you dare touch me," she warned.

"Or what, Matsumomo?" he said condescendingly. "You'll hit me with all ninety-five pounds of you?"

"Have you always been such an ass or—_KANDA!_"

He hauled her wordlessly over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and headed into the building. She swung precipitously, her face buried in his back as her legs dangled in free fall. She could feel the blood rush to her face for more reasons than one, and she immediately began hitting him with every bit of energy she could muster. It had been years since she'd hit anyone at all.

"Fuck you, Kanda—what the hell is wrong with you? I can get in the building myself, _let me down you asshole!_"

"Have you always been this annoying?" he deadpanned as he opened the door to the complex. "Or loud?"

She hit him right between the shoulder blades.

"Damn, woman," he said with a slight verbal wince. "Fucking violent…here then."

He dropped her to the ground unceremoniously, right onto the staircase. She let out another swear as further pain jolted up her back—what the hell was wrong with him—she hadn't suffered this much abuse in years.

"What?" said Kanda to her glare. "Can you walk up the stairs yourself, or do you need me to carry you again?"

"Prick," she hissed.

"You're welcome," he said without the slightest bit of offense.

"You two get along as well as you did four years ago," said Allen pleasantly, helping her up again and guiding her up the stairs. He had gotten taller—with her heels on, she was only slightly taller than he was. "Can we talk in your apartment, Rei?"

"Can you not call me that?" she muttered.

Allen looked genuinely confused. "What, Rei? What are we supposed to call you then?"

"Look, I've lived the last four years as Mimi Silavand—I haven't heard that name in so long I can't even respond to it anymore—"

"Bullshit," said Kanda disdainfully. "You lived the previous eighteen years like that—a four year break is nothing. Live with it."

"If another word comes out of your mouth in that tone, I'll kill you," said Mira as they neared the apartment.

Elle and Teresa looked at her curiously, almost warily. She felt her conscience nudge her, causing guilt to bud amidst the fury and shock she was still feeling after being confronted by three faces she'd sworn she wouldn't see again.

And to think that they would still be interacting so…so _normally_. She and Kanda still bickered like a pair of kids, Allen was still as kind as ever…it was primarily Lavi whom she could not help but be distant with, almost angry with, because his accusatory eyes were as clear as ever.

Only Mira seemed completely unperturbed by the turn of events—perhaps it hadn't quite settled in her usually quickly-working brain that her roommate wasn't the person she thought she was, or perhaps Mira just didn't care so much because she had no idea who these celebrities all were.

"What tone?" said Kanda rudely.

"You're fucking rude," said Mira lividly.

"This is how I normally talk."

"And no one's ever told you that you sound like—no, that you _are_ an asshole when you talk like that?"

Kanda's eyes flickered with amusement. "Many times."

Mira looked like she wanted to continue arguing but instead let out a breath.

"I don't know what's going on," she said, "but you guys can have some time in our apartment if you need some privacy. I'll be at Elle and Teresa's, Mimi—I bought some snacks if you're hungry."

"Do you have alcohol?" she deadpanned.

Mira wrinkled her nose. "Nothing for _them_," she gestured to the three males, "but there's still some Smirnoff left in the fridge if you want it. You sure you'll be okay alone, Mimi?"

"Her name's Rei," said Lavi, speaking up at last.

"And who were you to ever create her identity?" said Mira coolly. "I've always known her as Mimi—I'll go with what she wants me to call her. Mimi?"

"You don't really expect us to start calling you that too," said Lavi callously, his statement directed to her as well.

She sighed, feeling as tired as she had been when she'd boarded the plane to New York for the first time, the weight in her chest amplifying with every breath she took. She had been thinking about the various ways she could get out of this situation—to leave in the middle of the night, to trick them into thinking that she was going to go along with whatever they wanted her to do but then disappear midway…

But she was weary.

So, so weary of running, of wondering, of living vicariously through Vogue magazines and television reality shows to see what was happening to Tyki and hating every minute of her existence when she saw him do things that jeopardized his life. She was weary of not being there.

Long had she realized that running away four years ago had been a mistake. One that she would not confess to Lavi and the like, but she knew it herself, and that was all the reassurance she required to finally come to terms with the fact that she regretted being Mimi as well.

No matter how much she hated her name now, or the familial relations it connoted…it was a name that had shaped her twenty-one years ago.

"Mimi?" said Mira cautiously.

She gave an exhausted smile. "It's Rei."

It was time to stop running.

* * *

They were seated on the small table in the dining room. Despite Mira's insistence that the guests receive none of her precious alcohol, Rei had poured each of them a glass of wine out of sheer manners and surreptitiously downed a shot of vodka before sitting down at the table with them.

"So I suppose we should talk about why we're here?" offered Allen.

"Let's start with what we want you to do," said Lavi. "You're coming back with us to London."

Rei stared, unsure if her ears were functioning properly. Maybe it was the buzz from the alcohol. "What?"

"Back with us," said Lavi, emphasizing every syllable as if he were talking to someone deaf. "To London."

"Why?"

"Because we think it'd be a good idea if you came back and saw everyone—" said Allen quickly.

"To fix Mikk," interrupted Lavi. Allen shot him a warning glare, but he ignored it. "You know, because if you haven't noticed, he's sort of been doing a lot of shit to himself that you just might have caused, and—"

"Lavi!" said Allen sharply.

"What?" challenged Lavi. "Isn't that what you're thinking too?"

"Excuse us," said Allen, standing up and dragging Lavi up by the arm. "I've got to have a word with him."

"The hell, Allen—"

"Come on," said Allen, and his tone bordered dangerous. "A word."

Lavi heaved a sigh and followed him outside the apartment, leaving Rei and Kanda alone. She was still staring at Lavi's empty seat.

"So you came all the way here, dragged me out of the life I've had for the last four years, just so I could back and fix your problems," she said in disbelief.

"I don't particularly care about Mikk," said Kanda coolly. "I came for different reasons—reasons that overlap with the ones Bookman doesn't want to say aloud."

"Like what?"

"Like why you left in the first place."

"Tch. It was because of the paparazzi, wasn't it?" She spoke with mockery.

"That's what they want to think," he said quietly. "You're not that weak though—it had to be a different reason though. What was it?"

"You're not getting it."

Kanda gazed at her exasperatedly, his hand swirling the wine glass balanced between his fingertips. Rei took a good look on him; for all the tumultuous activity before, she had not gotten to examine the changes he had undergone over the years. She saw that he was doing the same thing to her.

All the pictures she had seen of Kanda did him no justice. He had not had a professional photo shoot since the one with Cross—his peaking popularity had greatly channeled the success of his newly started company. But as she merely examined him, she realized that she'd experienced a great dearth of aesthetic pleasure over her years at NYU. Looks like Kanda's did not come frequently, and after years of hooking up with guys who could not compare even remotely to his beauty, Kanda came, at the least, as a stunning site for sore eyes.

His jaw line was beautifully cut, as if out of marble, and his deep eyes exhibited a cool calculation and maturity that he hadn't had before. Rei remembered how Mira had been completely taken back with Kanda's beauty when they'd last seen him over a year ago, and how Mira, for all her own confidence in her looks, had been dumbfounded with Kanda's pulchritude. Rei didn't blame her. It took one quite a while to build a tolerance to his face, and she knew it was only because of their history that she wasn't blushing to the roots of her hair.

"Take out your contacts," said Kanda, frowning.

"Why?"

"You look ugly. Wait, you are, but the contacts make it all the worse. Take them out."

She frowned as well. "That's really rude of you. I've been told that I was rather pretty."

Kanda's eyebrows were raised so high they disappeared behind his bangs.

"Who were they looking at?" he said in incredulity. "You, or your roommate?"

Rei scoffed. "Jeez, I say one little thing and you shoot down all my self-esteem—you've always done that. I _know_ Mira's prettier—no need to rub it in my face."

Kanda gave a little smirk before leaning closer. Likewise, Rei leaned back as far as her chair would allow.

"Seriously," she said warily, "why do you get so close?"

He ignored her and touched her chin lightly before trailing his fingers so that they tilted up her face and pulled her closer to his. There was nothing suggestive about his expression, though—he was critically examining her face with the meticulousness of an artist to his sculpture.

"Have you always been this _thin_?" he said distastefully. "Where did your muscle go?"

Rei smiled bitterly and didn't respond.

"As for your roommate," said Kanda, letting go of her and leaning back, "she's all right, but not my type."

"Oh, that's right," said Rei nearly sarcastically, "you have a type."

The news had come sometime last week and had caused quite a ripple in the entertainment field. That Yuu Kanda, twenty-two year old CEO of Mugen, designer and former model, was no longer an eligible bachelor.

"Don't worry," said Kanda. "You don't fit it either."

Rei smiled wryly. "Glad to hear. When did you decide that you liked busty French women?"

Kanda smirked in reply.

The first time Rei had heard that Kanda was dating someone, perhaps a year or so after she'd disappeared, she was naturally curious to see who the incredibly lucky—and simultaneous unfortunate—lady was. Much to her surprise, it was Cera Moreau, a French actress and singer, who, in Rei's opinion, was the farthest thing from Kanda's "type." Moreau was beautiful and elegantly so, but various factors made her seem "out-of-place" with Kanda. She was older than he was by three years and, well…French. Rei would have thought that Kanda would have a hard time dating a Westerner. And such a busty one at that.

Clearly, she'd been wrong.

Rei had thought that Moreau was an anomaly, but the various relationships seemed to persist the news—Moreau and Kanda lasted maybe half a year, then it was Jane Dupont, then Sybil Lefevre…the relationships were never long, but they were never frivolous either. Kanda didn't seem like one to engage in the relationship halfheartedly, but at the same time…Rei had a hard time believing that he was serious.

"Are you jealous?" he asked smoothly.

Rei blinked. "No, of course not."

He maintained his smirk, but it now seemed cryptic. For the first time since they'd met again, Rei felt a disconnect between them; it was clear that she was not the only one to have changed drastically, for though Kanda was not as physically different, she realized that she did not understand him as well as she used to.

"I have a question," said Kanda, drinking his wine.

"Nothing's ever stopped you from asking one," said Rei dryly.

"What," he said, ignoring her jibe, "are you going to do about Mikk?"

"…What do _you_ want me to do?" she said lightly, dodging the question that she didn't have an answer to.

"Nothing," said Kanda in a terribly nonchalant manner. "I couldn't care less if he jumped off a cliff or got into a car accident and died—"

"Kanda!" she said indignantly.

Kanda paused and studied her face—even she knew that her face had gone bloodless.

"You should know that that's highly possible, at the rate he's going," he remarked.

"And you shouldn't be praying for it to happen," she said furiously.

"So you're still in love with him."

"I never said that."

"Were you in love with him to begin with?"

"Kanda, this is a conversation we had four years ago—"

"Four fucking years ago," he said, his tone finally containing the first traces of his short temper surfacing, "you stood me up like I was an idiot, waiting for you to come see me off when I went back to Japan. For the first time in my life, I sat there hopefully waiting like a dumbass, hoping that you would have changed your mind, that you would come with me. I made the plane wait for ten fucking minutes, I looked like an idiot to everyone but most of all to myself because I had actually let myself hope—because you were always like this, leading me on, letting me believe in something. Don't think for a fucking second, Matsumomo, that I've ever forgiven you for it."

She could have retorted.

She could have exhibited her old sarcasm, that ten minutes of looking like an idiot was nothing compared to four years of living like one, that she would never have stood him up if she didn't have a reason. A good reason.

But Rei had long lost the self-confidence she had possessed that would allow her to challenge the decision she had made back then. Perhaps it was because she'd come to the conclusion that it'd been a mistake—perhaps it was because she knew that the amount of damage she'd done was irreversible, irreparable, and that no amount of excuses could salvage it.

She had been a fool to think that she and Kanda could still be the same people they were at the start. She was no longer so naïve.

* * *

"What's your problem, Lavi?" said Allen in a low voice as they stepped outside the apartment.

"Did you expect a different reaction?" the redhead muttered.

"You make it seem like you're the only one who's suffered these last few years," said Allen, his anger uncustomary. "You can take one look at Rei and know that she's not the same—use Mikk as much as you want for your excuse, but everyone knows that the only reason you want to bring her back is to make her more miserable than she already is."

"It's not like that," snapped Lavi.

"Then what is it?"

"I want…answers," he said tiredly.

"And you think badgering her and making her feel cornered is going to get you them?"

"I—"

"Give her space," said Allen threateningly. "She needs time to digest, Lavi—she probably expected to never see us again for the rest of her life. You popping up and telling her that we're dragging her back to London while shoving Mikk's condition in her face is the stupidest thing you could do."

Lavi didn't answer. For once, someone was talking more sense than he did.

Allen's voice dropped even lower. "Look, I know you want answers. We all do, and I know that you're trying to find some solace after what happened with Kate. In many ways, I try to take you into the most consideration, over Mikk, even, because I think you deserve an answer too. But when I saw Rei today, Lavi, I just can't bring myself to believe that she would disappear for a petty reason. Trying to believe that she left because she couldn't deal with the paparazzi is as stupid as it gets—Rei was never that weak. But when I see her now, I'm afraid that if we do anything, she'll end up breaking too, just like Mikk. I…I don't think Rei is as resilient as she used to be."

Lavi laughed hollowly and ran a hand through his hair. "It's always like this. I have what I want to say to Rei planned out perfectly, and it's not offensive at all, it's what I want to convey—that I really don't blame her, but that…that I want some answers. And that…that I was worried for her too, not just for myself, or for Mikk. But the moment I see her face, something in me just snaps, and all those thoughts I kept thinking after Kate died just come back…and I can't help myself."

Allen looked anxious—rightfully so, because Lavi did not talk much about Kate. He didn't have to say anything, though, because Rei's roommate came up the stairs, her expression dark.

"Why are you two standing outside?" she said dryly. "I left for a reason, you know."

"Um…" said Allen nervously. He clearly found her intimidating. "Mira, was it?"

"Yeah."

"We're not quite finished, but…er…"

"If Mimi…Rei," she corrected herself, "doesn't want me to hear anything, I'll just sit in my room and put my headphones in. I'm not going to snoop if she doesn't want me to—I just can't stand another minute with the other two."

"Er…why? Aren't they your friends?"

"Inconsiderate at that," snorted Mira. "Jeez, what's the big deal? So she's someone you guys knew four years ago—she's been running from you—well there had to be a reason. The two of them downstairs are acting like she killed someone or something else dramatic."

Lavi and Allen exchanged looks. Mira was clearly not informed on celebrity life—her ignorance in this manner was surprisingly refreshing.

Mira eyed Lavi suspiciously.

"You know, I don't really recognize celebrities…but I remember you," she said. "I read your interview in Vogue."

Lavi nodded. "And?"

"I came to the conclusion that you're a pretentious asshole," said Mira indifferently.

He was stunned speechless for a second. It hadn't been the reply he was expecting, not to mention that he had been thinking that the girl was extremely gorgeous. Besides, he personally thought that he came off as a nice, intelligent, down-to-earth celebrity.

"And may I ask how you came to such a conclusion?" said Lavi, deciding to keep it civil.

"So you're a genius," said Mira, her bony hip leaning against the railing. "Okay, that's nice. Got into Cambridge and Oxford at fourteen, but against the wishes of your illustrious grandfather, a scholar of incredible caliber, you didn't go for fear of being bullied. Which," she shrugged, "I guess makes sense. So you took a few years, became a really famous model, which is also okay because it's nice to try different careers even though I think modeling is one of the stupidest careers you can get into—"

Allen, who had simply sniggered at the abuse Lavi was undertaking, took offense to this. "Actually—"

"Okay, I'll take that back, it was a bit of an overstatement," admitted Mira. "I just don't think it's that worthwhile. But that's my own opinion—so you became a model…but then what?"

Lavi was perplexed. "What do you mean, 'but then what?'"

"You're a genius, aren't you? Photographic memory—I think that's bullshit, by the way—but it's doubtless that you're intelligent. Aren't you going to do anything with that intelligence?"

Understanding dawned on Lavi. "Ah…I see. You're _that_ kind of person."

They seemed to have a good connection because Mira understood his implications.

"Yes," she said in a steely tone, "I am."

"Let me guess," said Lavi. "Money problems forced you, brilliant Harvard acceptee, to come to a non-Ivy League school, NYU, against your own volition. This in turn has caused you to look down on every person who had the opportunity to go to a great university but declined it willingly because you think you're better than everyone else."

"Quite the contrary," said Mira, "my parents were the ones who wanted me to go to Harvard. I came to NYU on my own."

Lavi paused. He hadn't messed up on first impressions before.

"So?" said Mira with mocking cheeriness. "Not quite the typical Asian genius you read about in every Asian-American history book, right? I don't mind where I am, but all I'm trying to do is maybe make a difference in the world. So while you're providing fan service to a million girls who are probably all rich and dumb without another care, I'm going to go and find something worthwhile. Maybe I'll cure AIDS. I'll work for world peace. Hell, I'll find the next source of sustainable alternative energy while you, Mr. Bookman, can continue smiling at all those pretty girls through the lens of a camera, all right?"

He didn't know if he'd ever felt more insulted and simultaneously amazed in his entire life.

"Anything more, Mr. Bookman, or am I free to see if my roommate is available?"

She stepped forward and opened the door, but before she stepped in, Kanda's voice filtered through the crack quite audibly. While Allen had taken Lavi out to calm him, Kanda's infamous temper had surfaced.

"I made the plane wait for ten fucking minutes, I looked like an idiot to everyone but most of all to myself because I had actually let myself hope—because you were always like this, leading me on, letting me believe in something. Don't think for a fucking second, Matsumomo, that I've ever forgiven you for it."

A temporary silence ensued, much to Lavi's surprise. He would've bet that Rei would retaliate, because there were many areas of Kanda's argument that he could poke holes through…but Rei did not say a word.

If anything, it was Mira who banged open the door and stomped into the room. Lavi made a movement to follow, but Allen held him back.

"Er…let's just see how this plays out," he said. "Okay?"

* * *

Mira was not quite sure why she was so angry. Ever since she'd seen Yuu Kanda in the club, she held an unfathomable antagonism against him—maybe it was because his presence had caused her roommate to indulge in stupid, condescending men, or just because Yuu Kanda was more beautiful than she was, and she wasn't comfortable with that. In fact, she was not comfortable with any of them, including Lavi Bookman—no, _especially_ Lavi Bookman—because she wasn't sure if she could deal with any of them being more beautiful _and_ more intelligent than she was.

Except she'd already given Lavi a piece of her mind, and regardless of reason, Mira could not _stand_ the way Kanda was talking to Mimi—no, Rei—damn, this was hard—and she was even more furious that Rei was not fighting back.

"Hey, asshole," she said, striding into the dining room, her hands balled into fists.

Kanda looked up at her, and Mira imagined smacking him as hard as she could. Years of judo practice had to give her enough strength to knock Kanda out of his seat, but she resisted the temptation.

Calm. Analyze the situation. Any consequences? Weigh them against the benefits.

But she would feel _so_ happy after hitting this douchebag—what about the police—but she would be _so_ happy—but she still had a future to think about—_but the elation_—

"Just for your information," she said, deciding to play it safe, "you don't look like an idiot, you _are_ one, and what the hell, you think that just because you make a plane wait for ten minutes, Rei here should be indebted to you? Fuck no."

"Mira," interjected Rei.

Mira bulldozed her over. "You think she led you on? Yeah right, she was just going to send you off, right? Did she ever say she was going to go with you? No, she didn't, but you're still blaming her for it? And not only that, you _only_ waited for ten minutes? What kind of sacrifice is that? You know, you're not just an idiot—you're pathetic."

She expected Kanda to get angry, to retort, retaliate, and she braced herself with the adrenaline rush that always came to her when she knew she was going to win a debate.

But Kanda just looked at her impassively before turning his gaze to Rei.

"No wonder you two get along so well," he said lightly. "She acts exactly like you did."

"Enough," said Rei sharply. "Mira, it's fine, you don't have to look like you're going to murder him—that's how he's always been."

"And so you just sit there when he talks to you like that?" said Mira, disbelieving. "Mi—Rei! You can't just let men sit here and talk to you so degradingly—"

"So you're a feminist too," said Lavi as he walked into the room as if on cue after waiting for the storm to clear. "Should've known."

"And you're a chauvinist?"

"Mira, enough, they're not," said Rei resignedly. "Don't snipe at them, you don't understand everything. The least I owe them is some time for them to rant."

"Rei—"

"Seriously, Mira," she said, and her voice was almost cold. "Give them a break."

Mira bit back a reply. For as long as she could remember, Mimi Silavand, though confident in some areas —much like any other teenage girl—had always relied on Mira to stick up for her. Mira had gotten so used to it—so used to telling off every guy who wanted to take advantage of passive Mimi that she was taken back with the look that she was giving Mira now. Were these guys not all the same? Weren't they taking advantage of her as well? Especially this redhead and pretty boy—weren't they being especially insulting? Why were they excused?

But Rei looked almost penitent, and more than anything, jaded as she addressed Lavi.

"So I'm guessing you want me to go back to London," she said, "to…fix Tyki. Exactly how you expect me to do that is beyond me—don't you think he just never wants to see me again?"

"I don't think even Mikk is that stupid," said Allen. "And no matter how indifferent he acts…I think seeing him again will do both of you some good."

Rei gave a sarcastic laugh. "Always the optimist, Allen. I think you still believe me to be the innocent eighteen year old I was back then, capable of turning him around just because I was 'pure,' so-to-speak. I'm not the same person I was, Allen. If Tyki were to see me now…" Her lips contorted into an odd kind of smirk, "he'd consider his lessons well taught and learned."

"I don't care if you think you're different, I want you back in London," said Allen firmly. "It's not healthy for you to stay here. Even if it doesn't make a difference in the end, I think that in the long run, you two have to meet to heal. That, in itself, should be enough of an incentive for you to come."

Mira felt a bizarre panic suddenly. Her roommate was going to leave her? But…Mimi—Rei, she'd always been the only person Mira could hang around with for long periods of time. What was Mira going to do without her?

"I have exams coming up," said Rei quietly.

"Seriously?" said Kanda. "You're going to care about school—"

"Yes," said Rei snappishly, "I am, because it's something I'm actually good at."

"Nerd," muttered Kanda.

"Idiot," she said. Mira was proud of Rei's retort.

"Stop," said Allen. "Look, we'll work it out, Rei. You don't have to come back on the next flight—we'll arrange it for you to come back after your exams are over, all right? I think it'd be good for you to take the next semester off—"

"No," said Rei edgily. "I'm graduating with this class."

"Why, you have friends all of a sudden?" said Kanda coolly.

"It costs money to take a semester off," said Mira angrily. "Besides, she has friends here who care a lot about her, and there's nothing wrong with wanting to graduate with us—"

A cell phone ring tone cut Mira's sentence off. Kanda reached into his pocket and answered with a smooth, "What is it?"

They waited in silence as Kanda's facial expressions changed from its normal impassive condescension to slight alarm, then, as he hung up, to a snide smugness as he turned to Mira.

"What was it that you said?" he asked. "That she has 'friends who care about her?'"

For the first time, Mira found herself slightly shaken by Kanda's confidence.

"Amusing, then, isn't it?" he continued. "Your _friends_ seem to have been the ones to alert the paparazzi that Rei Matsumomo has been found, and that we three are here, amiably conversing with her."

The house phone rang shrilly as Kanda spoke, and Mira made an instinctive movement to get it.

"Don't," said Kanda. "Your so-called-friends have just effectively fucked everything up. So say thanks to them, because Rei will be boarding the next flight out of New York with us, back where she's supposed to be, and away from the idiots she never trusted in the first place."

* * *

Rei was not terribly surprised that either Elle or Teresa had told the paparazzi about her real identity. She was more surprised that Mira had not found her deceit to be appalling—but then again, Mira did not know the extent of Kanda, Lavi, or Allen's popularity, and therefore only saw them as three musketeers who were going to take her away.

Kanda had come to New York with his handy-dandy manager, Reever, who promptly arranged for them to be privately escorted to a hotel on the upper East Side, far away from NYU's campus. Rei knew that her apartment complex was currently being bombarded by the news reporters and felt not the slightest bit of sentiment for either Elle or Teresa—they were precisely the type of people who wouldn't understand even if Rei explained everything to them.

She lied on a bed in the hotel, thankfully alone as she wrapped herself in a cocoon of blankets. Her phone number had at least not been released so at least it wasn't ringing off the hook—nevertheless, she'd let Mira have it as she wandered the halls of the hotel.

Rei was still trying to recover from the shock of having her carefully crafted life of nearly four years shattered in one fell swoop. She would never have planned their reunion to be like this—Kanda, Allen, and Lavi just showing up on her doorstep, demanding her to go back, no preamble, no preparation.

Half of her very much wanted to cry, but crying was useless and she had not cried since freshman year, when all she thought about was how unfair life was and other silly selfish thoughts along those lines. No, she hadn't cried in a long time, and was not going to now.

In many ways, this sort of outcome had been predictable, a possibility that loomed over her head everyday that she had chosen to ignore. They wanted her back in London to fix Tyki. She could not fix him. She had lost that right and capability when she'd abandoned him—it would take something incredibly drastic and near impossible to change him now.

But she would have to go. As she lied there, smothered in her own warmth and blankets, she tried to recreate the sense of security that Tyki had connoted back then. It made her insides ache, her mouth dry when she remembered all they were and could have been, and it was on these thoughts that she based her resolve—a shaky, unstable resolve, but it at least was some sort of motivation for her to go back.

She could not help but take it with dread though—she knew the torrent of questions that she'd be asked and needed to brace herself for them. Never would she tell him—or the others—the reason behind her disappearance. No matter how much she hated Eiji, she could not bear to see him pay punishment—even if it was punishment that he so rightfully deserved.

The door to the room opened, followed by the muffled sounds of heels on carpet.

"Rei?" said Mira uncertainly.

She pretended she was asleep.

"I know you're awake," she said. "I just wanted to let you know that Selssen, Kim, and all your other exes keep calling and texting you."

Rei sighed and got up, her long hair falling around her face in disarray. Mira handed her the phone.

"Wow," said Rei wryly, "fifteen missed calls from Eric in the time span of…five minutes. That's a new record."

"You have texts too."

Rei scrolled through the message bar.

"'Why didn't you tell me you were a celebrity?'" she read aloud. "'Does trust mean anything to you?' 'Didn't you care about me?' 'How am I supposed to feel now?' 'I'm suing you for emotional trauma.' 'Or we could get back together.' Oh fuck you, Eric," she said, furiously deleting all the texts. "He's such a wuss, I can't stand him…"

"There's more," said Mira. "I didn't read them, but I think I guessed the general gist."

"Jason," murmured Rei. "At least he asked if I was okay."

"He's dating a freshman girl now, isn't he?" said Mira out of genuine curiosity.

Rei nodded. "Yeah, good for him. And the rest of these guys…all want to get back together. They didn't have a problem when we broke up in the first place. God." She fell back on her pillows. "I don't want to deal with this."

Mira stood by patiently and quietly. She seemed to understand that Rei was not feeling well, but her body language implied her questions.

"I suppose I should explain myself to you," said Rei.

"I…got most of it," said Mira anxiously. "I've been doing my fair share of research…through the T.V. at first, but then I realized that it was a bit biased…so I just used your phone for some browsing on the Internet. But that was all biased to…regardless, I have the general story, I think."

Rei didn't answer, so Mira pulled up a chair and sat down by the bed.

"…Rei?" she said gently. "Would it be possible for you to…tell me everything? From the beginning? There are parts that I think I would understand better if you were the one to tell me what happened."

"…I don't know where to start, Mira. And a lot of it…a lot of it, I can't even explain. And a lot of it…I try not to remember."

"But don't you think you owe this to me?" said Mira firmly. "At the very least?"

Trust Mira to be unafraid to play her cards correctly. She was right—Mira was currently kicked out of her apartment, and her phone was ringing off the hook. Rei did owe her something.

But what could she trust Mira with? Elle and Teresa had been bad choices—but it hadn't been entirely their fault, because outsiders couldn't understand everything no matter how much was explained. The vacuum still existed around the group from the time of Kate's death, and it was an impregnable void, one words could not transcend, one mere recollection could not triumph over.

And who was the last person she had trusted entirely?

Didn't Mira, with her personality resembling Rei's from four years ago, threaten her in many ways?

But Mira boldly stepped forward again.

"Rei. When you found out I was cutting, I was furious at you for finding things about me that I never wanted you to. But in the end, I'm thankful you did—and I've never been able to repay you for it. I want to know about what happened four years ago because I want to help—and if you even dare think I'll betray you like Elle and Teresa did, I'll kick your ass."

She couldn't say no after that.

* * *

It had been difficult to find a place to start. Being abandoned. Become a bodyguard for Kanda, the most famous model in Japan. Falling for him. Working for the rest of the group. Cross. Allen. Lenalee. Lavi. Kate. Tyki. Dating Tyki. The Mafia problems. Eiji and the Royal Family problems. The lying, drama, worrying, wondering, wishing. London and serenity. Tiffany earrings and the proposal. Kate and Lavi. The crash. And then the unexplainable.

Recalling it all was like putting her life on a DVD and playing it with fast-forward. She made light of her own emotions, of what it was like being in love with Kanda and then with Tyki—not because the love had been something trivial or insincere, but because it was hard to try and verbalize such things. And in light of everything, even though being unable to explain precisely how she felt at such a time made her tale shallower, her love did not sound like the biggest component to her life.

She didn't say anything about Eiji, and the reason behind her disappearance. She left those issues hanging, a question mark out of the blue, just like the skimmed over paragraphs that could have detailed her emotions. Mira let Rei speak without stopping, and even though Rei thought that the longer she spoke, the easier it would be, she found that it wasn't remotely the case. As she progressed, her words grew more stilted, her thoughts more chaotic—and many times, she found herself lost in her own memories, unsure of how to portray them, frightened, even, of her own recollection.

When she finished, Mira stared at her intently, as if trying to gather more information simply based on Rei's facial expression.

"You're hiding something, aren't you?" she said finally. "The reason behind your disappearance."

Rei didn't answer.

"Can I guess?" said Mira.

Rei shrugged.

"Your dad had something to do with Kate's death, didn't he?"

The words came as such a surprise that Rei couldn't contain her amazement. For some reason, it didn't strike her as that obvious…but she should have guessed that Mira's intuition would lead her somewhere on the right path.

"The others don't think this is a possibility because they don't know about you and your dad's relationship," said Mira. "They think that any rift between the two of you is solely based on prior reasons, like his insistence that you and Tyki couldn't date. But I've heard snippets of when you were drunk, Rei, and I don't think antagonism can stretch so far without a really solid reason."

"You're correct," was all Rei said.

"…I suppose you won't tell me everything, but I can deduce a lot of it myself. I suppose I have to assume the worst, because you wouldn't have left if it weren't that big of a deal." Mira's gaze was soft. "…Mimi…Rei, you need to go back."

"I think they've made it clear that I'll be leaving, regardless of if I want to or not," said Rei dryly.

"No, well, yes, but…" Mira looked almost pained, "but I really wish you would _want_ to go."

"Why would I want to?"

"…Don't you miss him? Tyki, I mean?"

"No," said Rei stubbornly.

"Would you at least think about it for a second before you replied?"

"Mira, you don't get it," she said. "If I say I miss him, I won't be able to control myself when I see him—Tyki doesn't want anything to do with me, Mira, or else he would've come with the rest of them today. If I say I miss him, I won't be able to handle seeing him face-to-face and dealing with what he's like now—if I say I miss him and I see him again…"

Her voice trailed off, and she nervously fiddled with her earring.

"Well at least you want to see him then," said Mira with a sigh as she stood up. "Look, Rei, I talked to your…er…_friends_—I mean, I only talked to Walker who seems nice enough, and he said that they have the plane tickets for you to leave tonight. Apparently, Bookman has arranged for you to be studying at Oxford for next semester if you want—"

"Oxford?" said Rei, scandalized. "Is he crazy? They're too smart for me!"

"Oh shut up," said Mira deprecatingly. "You have a pretty high GPA, you're fine. You should be more upset that you're leaving me."

Guilt ensued after Mira's statement. The Chinese girl clearly was not impressed with the turn of events, and even though she had verbally encouraged Rei to go back to London, she seemed to be struggling to deal with the news.

"I'm sorry, Mira," said Rei quietly.

"No, I mean, I think you should go," said Mira, crossing her arms. "It's just…unfair. We were going to spend Christmas break together and watch the ball drop and all…I guess I'm going back home now. And you're not even going to be here next semester. Or you might decide to stay there forever, and forget about me."

"No, I won't," insisted Rei. "Seriously, Mira, do you really think I would?"

She gave her a withering look. "When you go back, you better stay like you are with more stability, all right? And it wouldn't hurt you to eat constantly and get back in your old bodyguard habits—like _working out_ for once…oh my God, you're such a liar, you said you were scared of the bench press! _And kickboxing!_ When you were fucking bodyguard!"

Rei backed up so that the bed was separating her and Mira. Her roommate looked incensed at this realization. Rei tried to explain herself.

"Look, I just didn't do anything that remotely resembled my old life—"

"I paid three hundred dollars for that kickboxing class!"

"I already knew everything in that class anyway—"

"You _better_ not forget me, Mimi Silavand—or whatever the fuck your name is—you owe me three hundred bucks!"

Money reined supreme in Mira Chang's head, it seemed. No worries there though. Rei was really going to miss her.

* * *

"Allen! I just heard the news. Is it true? You found her?"

"Lenalee," said Allen, wincing, "could you…er…quiet down? You're sort of yelling."

"Oh," said Lenalee, lowering her voice, "sorry about that. But are you serious? You've found her?"

"Yeah, we did, we're boarding the next flight out."

"And Rei's coming? What did she say? Was she really surprised? Or angry? I'm so sorry I didn't get to go—the Versace shoot took so long—"

"No, it's okay! We'll be back soon, so wait for us, all right?"

"I'm on the next flight out too—I'll see you in London then."

"Great!" said Allen happily. He hadn't seen Lenalee in a month—she was incredibly busy, and Allen had only just signed a contract with Kanda's company to work on the fall collection. The time for the couple to see each other was minimal, but Lenalee was planning on settling down in London for a while, perhaps commuting to Milan occasionally for work.

Time for a reunion.

* * *

"You're going then?" said Anita softly. "To London?"

"I'm thinking one final project is in order," said Cross as he tossed a shirt into his suitcase. "I didn't expect them to be in New York right now, but they found her, and are bringing her back, surprisingly. I'd be damned if I didn't get Rei in another photo shoot, and this time, it better be with Kanda."

"You don't think you're jumping to conclusions rather quickly?" she said, curling up in the chair as she watched her lover pack.

"No, my intuition's never wrong." He turned to face her. "Why don't you come with me, Anita?"

She shook her head. "I have clients. Unfortunately, work calls."

It looked like Cross hadn't expected a different answer, for he gave her a crooked smile.

"That's a pity. Don't worry, I'll be back soon—and if you want to visit, just let me know." He kissed her on the cheek. "I'll make time for you."

She hit him lightly.

"You better," she said teasingly, kissing him fully. "I'll come see you soon, maybe around Christmas time. Be safe, all right?"

"I'll call you when I land."

* * *

"Hm?" said Cera Moreau as she draped an arm around Tyki's bare chest. "Say…isn't that the girl you used to date?"

They were tangled in the sheets of Tyki's bed, draped in the darkness that was punctured by the light of the television screen.

"Breaking news," said the reporter excitedly, "the mysterious Rei Matsumomo has finally been found! After almost four years of no contact, we have been told that she was living under the alias of 'Mimi Silavand' and working as a student of New York University in America. No photographs have been revealed yet, but word has it that she is a mathematics major on the business track. Lavi Bookman, Allen Walker, and Yuu Kanda are also reportedly in New York City confronting their old acquaintance—but as we can remember, she certainly wasn't _just_ an acquaintance! Rei Matsumomo was the famous girlfriend of Tyki Mikk and collaborated with him in the Chanel project fronted by prestigious photographer Cross Marian—she was also the model in Marian's most famous photograph that won Picture of the Year."

"Shut it off," said Tyki, his tone steely.

"Mm?" said Cera. "Does it not interest you?"

"Not in the slightest."

"I always thought Yuu had a soft spot for someone else," sighed Cera as she pushed the power button of the remote. The T.V. went out with a buzz, engulfing them in the dark. "Maybe it's that girl…would that make you jealous, Tyki?"

"Certainly not."

"Ah?" grinned Cera as she pushed Tyki down on the bed. "Well, don't be jealous—after all, you're now sleeping with Yuu's ex-girlfriend."

"I _slept_," corrected Tyki. "Sorry, we've been there, done that, and annoyed though I am that Kanda got the first bite of the apple, I'm not about to break my code of conduct and sleep with the same woman twice. The door's that way—you can show yourself out."

He ignored Cera's aghast exclamations and simply tuned her out until she left the room not very quietly. The buzz of the alcohol must've worn off, for Tyki felt very clearheaded and unimpressed with what he'd seen on the news.

So they'd done the impossible—they'd found her. What now? How would he react? The same questions always fluttered around—would he really just sit there in shock and stare?

No.

He was fine. He was quite fine.

And he was going to prove it to her.


	47. Reviving the Buried

**Chapter 4: Reviving the Buried**

* * *

"_Sympathy is overrated,  
like a snapshot when you've lost the game._

_Now it's all a funeral,  
I've become a serial killer for us both."_

**- Miike Snow**. "Burial."

* * *

"Are you nervous, Rei?"

The question was the first sign of life in the private compounds of the plane that was flying them to London's airport. The four of them had fallen into silence for the last two hours—possibly because they were all tired, but more likely it was because none of them wanted to continue the arduous task of maintaining conversation. Rei had dozed off, curled up in her seat as her head laid against the cool window, sometimes jolting unceremoniously awake from turbulence.

Allen's question came unexpectedly. The young photographer was clearly a night person, as he was the only one out of them bright-eyed and almost excited to be on the plane. Lavi did not stir in his chair, his long legs spread out in front of him—he was clearly asleep. Kanda shuffled and opened his eyes blearily, glaring at Allen for disturbing the peace.

"Idiot," said Kanda. "Can't you see that we're sleeping?"

"I was asking Rei the question," said Allen. "By all means, continue sleeping."

"How can I, when you're making all that racket?"

"Sh!" hissed Allen. "You're going to wake up Lavi!"

"He might as well be awake if I'm not going to get any sleep."

"He hasn't gotten a decent night's worth of sleep since we decided on this trip," said Allen. "Just let him sleep, would you?"

Kanda scoffed and turned back around in his chair. Allen looked at Rei expectantly.

"So?" he whispered. "Nervous?"

"A bit," she admitted. "I suppose I'm not really sure what to expect."

That was a lie. She knew exactly what to expect: the worst.

"No worries," said Allen. "We've prepared a lot of measures to avoid the public, and we already set a few diversionary tactics to get you to a hotel without anyone knowing. You won't have to see anyone if you don't want."

"…That'd be great," said Rei in relief. "But…I don't see what you guys really want me to do. 'Fix Tyki?' It's…not that feasible."

"Fix yourself," said Allen. "That should be at the forefront of your mind."

"I'm fine, Allen."

"We don't believe that."

Rei looked at him, exasperated but grateful for his familiar sensibility. He had been the only one who had been looking for her without the intention of making her feel like shit.

"Anyway," said Allen, "when we get back, we can turn in for the night and then tomorrow—"

"Allen, when did you and Lenalee make it official?" she interrupted, wanting to talk about something other than her looming problems.

His response was so typical—he blushed to the roots of his hair, caught off guard by the sudden inquiry.

"W-We haven't made it _official_, you know, not to the public," stammered Allen. "I-I mean, Lenalee's got tons of fans and we thought it would be detrimental to her image—"

"Seriously, Allen," said Rei, "do you think I've lived under a rock for the last four years? I saw those pictures you took of her for your first Louis Vuitton project. They were beautifully done."

"She did look really pretty, didn't she?" laughed Allen, his cheeks still red. "Well, we only really started dating two years after you left—"

"It took that long?" said Rei, surprised.

"Yeah, well…there were certain…obstacles," he said a little less enthusiastically. "Namely…Komui."

"Ah," said Rei, understanding. "I see."

"Yep. After Ba-Kanda, Komui was all for having Lenalee withdraw into a convent. So it was a little hard to convince him that we liked each other."

"Komui," said Rei thoughtfully. "I owe him a lot."

"Really?" he said. "Why?"

"Didn't you guys ever think about trying to see how exactly I got into NYU?"

Allen stared at her.

"_Are you serious_?" he hissed as loudly as he could without being obnoxious. "He knew? The entire time?"

"It was a little less straightforward than that," she said. "I used the name Eiji Matsumomo to ask for the transcripts to be forwarded to NYU. He probably got the general idea, but he never asked anything, and only sent the transcripts with a simple 'Good luck.'"

"And he never told us?" said Allen hollowly. "_Ever_?"

"Why would he?" said Rei. "Some people…" She thought briefly of Cross, "some people thought it was better that I left."

"That's only because he didn't see what Lavi was like," snarled Allen, his anger not specifically directed at her but she felt it implicitly. "Didn't see what Mikk was doing…"

His voice trailed off as he felt Rei's gaze on him, and he looked apologetic.

"Sorry—I didn't mean—"

"I know," she said wearily, hugging her knees to her chest. "I know what he's been like. I kept track of the news."

"No, I just didn't mean to direct it—"

"I know," she said abruptly.

Allen fell silent, looking extremely guilty as he was reduced to simply watching her lean her chin against her knees.

"It's fine, Allen," she said, her tone a little less harsh. "Don't worry about it."

"All right…"

She let the silence linger as she turned her gaze away from him and out towards the window. The darkness loomed around the clouds they soared above, magnificent but not imposing; it gave her an overwhelming feeling, not malignant but intimidating all the same, hinting at her utter insignificance in the wide span of the universe.

It was a foreboding, belittling feeling. When Allen had asked her if she was nervous, she had replied truthfully. She wasn't terribly nervous. There was no reason to be.

More than anything, she was frightened.

* * *

"So let's talk about the plan," said Lavi Bookman the next day over breakfast.

They had convened in his hotel suite for breakfast that consisted of the best the room service had to offer, as well as liberal amounts of wine. Though Rei had done her own fair share of drinking in the last few years, alcohol for breakfast was new, and she couldn't decide if she was fascinated or repulsed by the amount Lavi drank with his meal. Kanda was no light drinker either, and Rei was relieved to find that Allen, like always, was more interested in vast amounts of food than anything else.

"I've talked to your dean at NYU and they said that they would arrange something about your finals being postponed and your academics being put on hold," the redheaded Brit continued. "So no need to worry about that. In the meantime, if you're interested, there's an exchange program with Oxford that's available."

"Cut the crap, Bookman, and talk about something more interesting," said Kanda, setting aside his wine glass and reaching for his comfort zone: green tea.

"I'll need to get a job," said Rei, thinking practically. "And I'll find a place to live over the break as well—then I'll think about doing the exchange program. But living in London is expensive…maybe I don't have a choice but to work full-time…and this hotel's going to cost a shitload…and so is that plane ticket…" She sighed unhappily. Her funds were already stretched out to the limits, especially when she had another year of school to go through.

The three men were staring at her oddly, as if she weren't quite in her right mind, while she mused over her financial situation aloud.

"What is it?" she said warily.

"Are you serious?" said Lavi. "You really think you're going to have to arrange your own housing?"

"I don't see why not…"

"I've already paid for a year's worth of rent for your apartment," he said. "Plus I've got the plane ticket and the hotel covered—shouldn't that have been obvious?"

"No!" said Rei, scandalized. "I never needed you to pay for me for anything—I can pay for it back—"

"You've been living the last four years off the money you made from our photo shoot with Cross," said Lavi. "Your financial aid was somehow amazing—I'm guessing you faked a social security number or something, because there's no way NYU would give that much money to someone who's not from their state—but I digress. I don't need the money, and I sure as hell don't need yours, especially when you're that poor. I'm not quite sure how you managed to buy all those designer clothes but—"

"Never wore the same clothes twice," said Rei. "I wore everything with the tags on them. I got the idea from someone in _Gossip Girl_ who was pretty much in the same predicament."

"From what?" said Kanda condescendingly.

"Never mind," sighed Rei. "It's fine, Lavi. If you just give me the amount you spent, I'll pay you back eventually—it might take a couple of years but hopefully I'll find a job that pays well…"

She saw the three of them exchange glances and grew suspicious.

"Is there something you need to tell me?"

"Not now," said Kanda smoothly. "Hey, bean sprout, are you finished stuffing your face? We need to get moving."

"Ah hafto gah to de—"

"Finish eating," snapped Kanda. "You're disgusting."

Allen glared at him as he unwillingly swallowed the food in his mouth. "I said I have to go pick up Lenalee from the airport, so I'll see you all later."

"Oh, she's back?" grinned Lavi. "Tell her hello from me—but I suppose you two won't be talking much for the next few hours, just coming straight back to the hotel for a nice little sex romp—"

"S-Shut up! We don't do stuff like that!" said Allen immediately, his face coloring.

There was a pause.

"Wait, let me get this straight," said Lavi incredulously. "You two…never?"

"Are you kidding us?" deadpanned Kanda.

"Komui said he'd kill me! And after narrowly escaping death after we first told him, I just thought I wouldn't push my luck!" said Allen defensively.

"Just don't tell him!" said Lavi in disbelief. "You seriously think you could go up to Komui and say 'Hey, man, your sister was great last night—'"

"Don't make Lenalee sound so crass," said Allen, his embarrassment supplanted by anger. "I'm perfectly fine with waiting, and just because you two and Mikk are fucking sex machines doesn't mean—"

"Who's making us sound crass now?" said Kanda dryly. "I can't be grouped with those two—they've been at it since the beginning of time."

"Mikk is in a class of his own," said Lavi. "Lord knows how many times I've walked in on him devouring some woman in the closet at a party—"

"Lavi!" said Allen warningly.

"Oh. Oops. Sorry about that," said Lavi, watching Rei for a reaction. He was completely unapologetic.

Rei smiled though "That sounds incredibly exotic, albeit classless. It's Tyki though, so I suppose he gets it done regardless of where and how. Unfortunately, my own experiences are limited to the bed, so that must've been traumatizing for you, Bookman, since I don't know how I would feel about seeing people fuck in the closet either."

She looked back at Lavi evenly, and was satisfied by his impassiveness. He could goad her all he wanted. She was not going to play to the rules of his own pity party.

Because these last four years, he hadn't been the only one to suffer.

* * *

Sometimes even Tyki had to marvel at his own charisma. Despite his reputation as a callous playboy with ultimately no regard for his relationships, the queue of women who wanted to sleep with him was extensive and unchanged over the time he had remained a bachelor. Minutes after he'd dismissed Cera, he just needed to call a random number on his phone and a beautiful redhead had appeared at his door, and they spent the night pleasantly together. Her name, he vaguely remembered, was Ursula, but names weren't an issue as they were both too high for the rest of the night to need dialogue.

"You're just as they say," said Ursula as she pulled on her stockings. "Amazing in bed."

"Thank you," said Tyki as he lied on the pillows, watching her as she dressed. "You're not bad yourself."

Ursula scoffed. "I suppose I wasn't good enough to get promised a round two, mm? Fine, I know your policy. Besides, my boyfriend's getting in town tonight and I'm supposed to meet him."

"Pity," yawned Tyki. "I suppose you were good enough for me to walk you to the door, though, so I'll stretch my gentlemanly capabilities a bit and show you the way out."

He tossed on his slacks and, not bothering with a shirt, gently guided Ursula's petite figure out of his bedroom.

"By the way, the joints you had last night…"

"Excellent, wasn't it?" said Tyki mildly.

"…I was so high."

"I don't remember much of it. I would offer you some to take with you, but unfortunately that was the last of my stash, so we'll both have to deal with being painfully sober for the rest of the day."

"Bummer," she said. "Well, then…" She stood on her tiptoes and pecked him on the cheek. "If you're ever interested in another time—"

Her sentence was cut off by a scratching sound at the door. The two of them stared at the entrance, bewildered as the sound grew louder and the doorknob jangled slightly.

"Oh, damn it," said a female's voice outside. It had a slight American accent. "What the hell, what kind of place is this…I _told_ him nowhere too fancy and now look where I am…this is going to cost a fucking fortune…and why won't the fucking door open?"

The voice grew more and more familiar with every word. It was a voice that made Tyki surprisingly uneasy, and despite his willing it to stop, he could not prevent his heart from accelerating as he stepping forward quickly, unlocked the door, and drew the door back.

"What the hell—!"

It was her. It was her. It was her.

She looked up at him from her slightly crouched position, her hand frozen as it dangled a set of keys from her fingers. The eyes were not the same—she was wearing brown color contacts—and her hair was not either—she looked like a natural brunette—and even her face was so much thinner than before that Tyki didn't know what source exactly gave him the conviction that Rei Matsumomo was standing outside his door.

The little color from her face drained instantaneously and she straightened up slowly, backing up from him and nearly knocking her two suitcases over. She looked utterly shocked at seeing him, and even as she straightened up, her eyes never left his.

He couldn't prevent the reactions he felt; his heartbeat that had escalated so rapidly as he'd opened the door stopped the moment he saw her; his grip tightened on the doorknob; his eyes betrayed the shock of finding the woman he had dearly wished so many times to be dead on his doorstep.

She had changed to the point that Tyki began doubting himself. She had grown taller—quite a bit at that, nearly three inches…she must've been a late bloomer in so many different ways because she was infinitely more beautiful than he remembered her to be, thin, perhaps too much so, but her brown hair was tied up in a way that bared her face and accentuated every cheekbone. He was certain that this was the same girl he had seen back in New York…brown, wide-eyed understanding that could easily have been mistaken for fear.

"Hm?" said Ursula, standing abreast to Tyki. "Do you need something?"

The statement jostled both of them out of their stupor.

"Oh, I…" Rei stammered, "sorry, I think I got the wrong house. I'm…" She lifted up her keys to examine the tag. "It says room 206, but…"

"If you're moving in," Tyki heard himself saying, "it's room 208 that's been empty for a while."

"Right," said Rei, taking a step back and seemingly looking everywhere except in his direction. "That…would be next door. Sorry. I…"

"Well, I'll be going," said Ursula, kissing Tyki on the cheek again. "Hope to see you again, Tyki Mikk."

Tyki didn't even respond as the redhead disappeared down the staircase. He watched Rei intently as she hastily opened the door to apartment number 208—who the _fuck_ gave her the keys to the apartment right beside his—and disappeared into it without another word.

What the hell had just happened?

He wished he were high. Then maybe he could cope with this a little better. But he was terribly sober, terribly awake, and terribly cold from the gales of icy wind that were assailing him.

Tyki retreated back into his own apartment.

He wasn't ready for this. He should've anticipated it. But he hadn't, and he wasn't ready, and he wasn't ever going to be.

He had been infinitely happier five minutes ago.

* * *

Rei slammed the door shut and sank to the floor. She noticed that her entire body was trembling violently; she was gripping the handle to her suitcase so tightly that she could've bent it if she wanted to.

What was she doing? That had been so unexpected; this wasn't the way it was supposed to go. She was not supposed to "happen" to be his new neighbor. She wasn't supposed to just _run_ like this.

But she didn't know what else she was supposed to do.

Part of her was seized with an insurmountable hatred for Lavi Bookman—he'd known this, the entire time, he'd _planned_ it, and he enjoyed doing this to her, watching her squirm as she was forced into a corner of guilt and morals. Making Tyki Mikk her neighbor…what a sick joke. He knew as well as she did that she had no idea what she was going to say to Tyki…

There was a knock behind her and she stiffened at the sound. It was a polite knock, three successive knocks, and then a pause.

Her heartbeat stopped, and she couldn't help but feel sick and pained. Rei didn't move from her crouched position on the rug that so kindly said "Welcome." She couldn't have felt less welcome into this abomination of a home.

The knocks came again, this time more insistently.

"I know you're there," said Tyki's voice from through the block of wood that was the door. Rei wished it were three times thicker. "Don't bother hiding. We were going to bump into each other eventually, so let's just get this over with, shall we?"

She sort of wished she could jump out a window.

Slowly, she got to her feet and cracked the door open. Tyki was visible through the opening through which she peered out; he had put some clothes and was not looking as pale as he had been when he'd first seen her. Propped between his teeth was a cigarette. He lit it as he studied her.

"Could you at least open the door wider so it doesn't look like you're terrified of me?" he said wryly.

Rei opened the door obediently, shifting uneasily as he looked her up and down.

"I suppose there's no need to beat around the bush," said Tyki. "What are you doing here?"

"I…"

"And I don't just mean _here_, as in right next door," he all but snarled. "What the fuck are you thinking, being in London at all? Just because Bookman and the rest went to find you, don't assume that everyone wants to see you again. Don't come crawling back, trying to fix things—"

"Does it look like I'm _crawling_ back?" she said coldly.

Tyki narrowed his eyes, but she had gotten past her fear with the first word of Tyki's tirade. She was sick of all of them blaming her just for existing—yes, she had made a mistake, a huge mistake, but she hadn't gotten one word out of her mouth before Tyki acting like an asshole—he had been right, she _was_ terrified of seeing him, and so she was not _crawling_ back—God, she couldn't even get the thoughts straight in her head, but her mouth opened first, and out came everything she was thinking—hateful, hurtful, and pissed. And despite the fact that she held her tongue when it came to Kanda, Allen, and Lavi, she, for some reason, could not stop the familiar sensation of snapping back when it was Tyki at the other end of the argument. Maybe it was because he looked so much unhealthier than he did before, maybe it was because the distinctive smell of pot came wafting out of his apartment when he'd opened the door, or maybe it was ultimately because his self-destruction was so apparent that she could only fight back to prevent herself from crying.

"Am I on all fours, crawling back to you?" she snapped. "Does it look in the slightest that I'm here to beg for forgiveness? Do you honestly think that I would show up on your doorstep after four years because I wanted to? I guarantee you, had it not been for that bastard of a Bookman, I would still be in New York, away from you, just as you wanted—"

He pushed her back into the apartment and followed her in, kicking the door shut with one deft movement before pushing her up against it, his hand gripping her shoulder tightly, his face level with hers so that his cigarette dangled dangerously close to her cheek.

"Then go back," he said through gritted teeth. "If you don't want to be here, then that's perfect—I don't want to see you either." His grip on her shoulder tightened, causing her to wince. "If you choose to stay here, I can guarantee you—I'm going to do everything in my power to make you wish you never came back."

"Try me," she said evenly.

Tyki scoffed and let go of her. He took a step back.

"Try as you may, I don't get quite the same aura from you as I used to," he said. "You can pretend to be the same as you were before…" He suddenly grabbed her wrist and slammed it against the wall, causing a jolt of pain to lace up her arm, "but I'd say you broke a long time ago. And if you're already broken, I'm certainly not going to be the one making you feel better."

The irony of his statement made her laugh—she pushed him off of her, her lips twisted in half a laugh and half a snarl.

"Charming though it is to see that you've noticed, I'm certainly far better off than you. Don't worry, Tyki," she stepped forward this time, and her arm garlanded his neck as she pulled him close so that their faces were mere centimeters apart, "I'm quite fine. You should be the one watching yourself, darling."

She let go of him with a self-satisfied smirk, watching as his expression shifted from one of triumph to one of caution. She didn't know if he would buy her ruse, but there was another knock on the door before she could decide if he did, and before either of them made a movement to answer it, the door opened and ushered in Lavi with a cool winter breeze.

"Sorry, parking was a bitch—oh," said Lavi, his eyes landing on Tyki. "How'd you guys meet already? I was planning on making it epic—I purposely brought her in when you were scheduled for a shoot with Yves Saint Laurent…"

"I canceled," said Tyki coldly, "after I heard yesterday that my dear ex-girlfriend came back from the dead. I didn't want to deal with the paparazzi."

"Yeah, I didn't plan on her being revealed either," sighed Lavi, completely unperturbed with the glares that he was receiving. "That fell out of my calculations…as did you being home…ah, well. It was going to happen either way. So are you two happy and dandy?"

"You're a sick bastard, Bookman," she said, unable to contain herself.

"Well, it's not the first time I've heard that," he answered breezily. "I just came up here to give you the rest of your luggage—Allen and Lenalee will be coming by later, so don't go wandering anywhere, will you?"

"What are you trying to pull, bringing her back?" said Tyki. "You think I'm supposed to…fix her or something?"

Lavi laughed, a hollow, sarcastic laugh that he was only capable of. "You? Fix anyone? Look at yourself in the mirror, Mikk—you're a mess and everyone knows it. Nope, she's back to fix _you_, because no matter how bad Rei gets, she's always going to have a little more backbone than you, a little more innocence than you, a little more morality—and in the end, she's going to do exactly what she did to you four years ago: fix you."

"And you think I'll be completely compatible with that?"

"Hey, Mikk. When have I ever been wrong?"

Someone needed to shove a foot up Lavi Bookman's ass. He was wrong on so many levels, Rei didn't even know where to start.

* * *

"Oh, my goodness!" Lenalee hugged Rei with a veracity she hadn't expected. "It's been _years_! How have you been?"

"Good," said Rei half-heartedly as she looked around the salon stationed in Kanda's company. She was not in the mood for frivolities, but at least the change in setting gave her mind something to wrap itself around. She had not quite gotten over the numbness of seeing Tyki so unexpectedly. "What _is_ this place?"

"_Mugen_," said Allen. "Or rather, _Illusion_. I don't think the Japanese name will catch on that quickly, honestly."

"No, I got that. I meant…what does Kanda do? He stopped modeling after the Chanel project—how has he been keeping busy?"

"He's a designer, to some extent," explained Lenalee. "Other than that, he controls what's going in the company and screens what goes through to the public—it's a lot of work, apparently, but the company's been growing quickly."

"Surprised I actually have work?" said Kanda's smooth voice from behind.

He approached them easily, dressed impeccably as always in an un-tucked oxford and slacks.

"Kanda," greeted Lenalee, leaning up and pecking him on the cheek.

Kanda frowned. "Since when have you done that as a greeting?"

"I thought I'd try it out—it's a common French thing, right?" she grinned.

"Cut it out, we all know what you're implying," he said dryly.

Lenalee rolled her eyes, winking slightly at Rei, before dragging her to a seat.

"Okay! So Kanda says you're going back to black," she said.

"…I'm what?" said Rei dubiously.

"Your hair, of course," said Kanda. "I told you before—you look completely artificial with that hair color—and take out the contacts already."

"He's just taken back by the change," said Lenalee encouragingly. "I couldn't even recognize you when you first walked in…but as much as I like the brown, I think you look better with black too. Would you mind if I styled your hair? I've been picking some tips up from my stylist and I think I've gotten the hang of it."

"I can dye it myself," said Rei wearily. "It's not a big deal."

"With what, drugstore dye?" said Lenalee, wrinkling her nose. "It'll ruin your hair—seriously, let me do it, all right? And we can catch up while I work."

"Right," said Allen, checking his watch. "Well, Rei, there's a taxi that'll take you back to your apartment after you're done, all right? I gotta run—apparently Shishou's getting in to London in an hour, and I have to be there to serve his beck and call…"

"Such a docile apprentice," said Lenalee teasingly. "We'll meet up for dinner, okay? I already made reservations so if Cross pulls something stupid—let him know I'll be upset."

"Like he ever cares when people are upset," said Allen dryly. "I'll see you all later, then."

The white-headed photographer left the room, leaving just the three of them accompanied by the noise of Lenalee's preparations.

"Kanda, leave for a while, would you?" said Lenalee abruptly.

"Why? You're working in my building—I have the right to—"

"Oh, does consideration even exist in you?" she said, nearly snappish. "I clearly have stuff I want to talk to Rei about—stuff that I don't want you to be around for."

"Don't bother asking why she left," said Kanda, turning around. "She won't tell you. Tell me when she's done—I have to talk to her too."

"Fine."

He left without another word. _And then there were two_, thought Rei tiredly, though she was glad that it was just Lenalee and her. She knew by instinct that Lenalee wouldn't attempt to aggravate her.

"So I hear you've been living in New York," said Lenalee, leaning Rei's chair down into the basin and washing her hair. "How was that?"

"Fun, I guess," said Rei, her eyes closed as Lenalee swished the water over her layers of hair. "It's a damn cold city."

"I would think so," chuckled Lenalee. "I've been there a few times for shoots…it's an incredible place."

"Mm."

A silence ensued as Lenalee brought out the shampoo and lathered it in the basin.

"I know that we weren't the closest of people four years ago," said Lenalee slowly, "but I just wanted to tell you that…that maybe we could, you know…be friendlier this time around?"

Rei smiled oddly. "About everything with Kanda four years ago—well, I'm a bit older now and hopefully a bit more mature—I'm sorry about it."

"Oh, it's fine, now," said Lenalee. "Kanda and I would've fallen apart anyway—he has a pathetic emotional range that I can't possibly deal with."

"Completely understandable."

"I know, right?" laughed Lenalee. "But that's not what I meant." She grew somber. "I meant…I meant that these four years, it's been lonely. It's not the same. Without…without Kate…and then you. With both of you gone, I realized just how much I'd let petty reasons get in the way of you know, making some sort of relationship with both of you. And so when I heard that you'd be back…I thought I could try and fix things this time around. Try and…make amends."

Lenalee had absolutely no idea what she was talking about, or the sheer magnitude to which all those reasons for disappearance went. She had nothing to make amends for, and yet, much like Allen, she was expressing a clear affirmation that she, unlike so many others, was not out to hurt Rei in the many ways she had already been.

Rei was grateful.

"It's fine. There's nothing for you to be sorry for."

"Oh, well…that's great then," said Lenalee. "I…I won't prod you about your reasons for leaving, but…can I just ask if you at least…missed us?"

She thought about Lavi Bookman and the insurmountable hatred she felt with his sick antics. She thought about Tyki and his dangling cigarette, his promise to make her suffer. She thought about Kanda, his affirmation that he had not forgiven her, his inconclusive goals.

"I don't know, Lenalee. I haven't decided yet."

* * *

He was having some trouble deciding his next course of action. He hadn't expected Rei's reaction to be so…bold. Perhaps he'd been foolish to think that she was still the same girl of eighteen—easily angered but equally easily understood. She was much more cryptic now—Tyki could not help but feel that Bookman was very wrong in his deduction that Rei was just as innocent as she was before. There was a wild sort of recklessness in her eyes, uninhibited and quite dangerous, even.

Tyki felt a thrill go through him.

No, she was quite far from innocent. Perhaps he'd made a great bit of impact on her—that gleam in her eyes was very well reflected in his own.

He couldn't get over how different she was. Aesthetically, disposition-wise…it was hard to decide exactly what was the best way to cause her the same degree of hurt that he wanted to. Something told him that the former bits of fooling around and such was not going to garner the same reaction as it would have four years ago.

Tyki smiled crookedly.

The little girl had grown up. He had to be proud.

* * *

"Déjà vu, isn't it?" murmured Rei as Kanda walked in to the salon. Lenalee had finished blow-drying Rei's hair and had left with a quick apology—apparently, Allen was stuck in some sort of traffic dilemma and needed her for backup in case he couldn't make it in time to pick up his ever vengeful teacher.

"What, my need to give you makeovers in order to make you seem presentable in the slightest?" he said, sitting on the table as he studied her change. "Yeah, as always, you can't seem to take care of you appearance."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said lightly, running a hand through her now black strands. The style was simple—no bangs, just soft layers that fell well past her shoulders. "I was always complimented on my fashion sense back at school. Lenalee did a great job though—my hair's much thinner than it was before."

"What about your contacts?"

"…I think I'll leave them in for a while more," she said.

"Fine, but you better take them out sooner than later."

"Your will be done, Kanda. What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Nothing in particular. I mainly just wanted to see how confident you were in your looks."

"I'm much more confident in them than I was four years ago," said Rei demurely. "I think both of us can testify to that. But what's the point? You want to dress me up to play doll?"

"Perhaps."

"…You can't be serious," said Rei, stunned. "I came back primarily to fix that drug-addict of a man—not to be on the runway."

"It was a suggestion."

"One that you should know better than to voice aloud," said Rei coolly. "When are you all going to get tired of controlling my life? First showing up in New York unannounced, then dragging me back here, and then making me Tyki's fucking neighbor—"

"What?" said Kanda sharply.

"My apartment," she enunciated, unable to keep the contempt out of her voice. "Don't tell me making me live right next to Tyki was a coincidence."

Kanda's eyes flickered. "You…you're living _beside_ him?"

"…You didn't know?"

"Fuck that Bookman," growled Kanda. "I told him I'd take care of the housing—_damn_! What the fuck was he thinking…"

"The best, I suppose," said Rei mockingly as she stood up. "Just as all of you are—thinking about the _best_ for yourselves. Just a bunch of sick pricks…"

"What about you?" retorted Kanda. "After four years, you still can't tell us anything—why the hell did you leave back then? Do you know the kind of mess you made?"

"You honestly think I don't know?" She hadn't meant to shout—but the frustration overrode any self-constraint that she had. "Unlike you all, who didn't hear one bit of news about me these last four years, I knew every incident that involved all of you—I knew when Tyki started fooling around, I knew when he started drugs again, I knew when _you _started acting like some socialite, I knew everything about it and do you think for a second I didn't regret it?"

Kanda didn't answer. His face had become impassive as he listened, and when she took a breath to recharge, he didn't interrupt her.

"You don't know what it was like," she said harshly. "You three…you make it seem like I've been having the time of my life, being away from all of…this. As if I enjoyed running away. I'm not saying that you guys don't have a reason to be angry—you do, I know, and I'll admit that I was wrong—but don't think that I didn't have a reason to leave. Don't take pleasure in watching me fidget and squirm in…in guilt. It's…it's just unlike you."

She made a movement to walk past him, unable to stay in the same room for much longer. She needed a place to go, and it wasn't going to be back to her apartment.

Their shoulders brushed, and Kanda caught her wrist gently. It was the same wrist that Tyki had so indecorously slammed earlier, and yet the action was so different that it caught Rei off guard. Kanda's touch was still as cool as she remembered, lingering and surprisingly soothing. He held it lightly, loosely as if he would let it slip through the cage of his fingers if she so desired.

They didn't speak. Just thinking. Feeling. Remembering.

And then he let go, catching her eyes, his face reflecting nothing.

"Your car's by the back," he said coolly. "You can find your own way out."

* * *

Rei had not taken out her contacts for her own reasons. Her apartment was the last place she wanted to go, as she still wasn't sure if there was another staircase that could get her into her apartment without passing Tyki's. With her contacts in, though, and with her hair tied up, she looked like any normal Asian girl walking through the streets. She took care not to wear heels and instead chose a pair of snow boots, a hoodie, and a scarf to melt into the crowd and not attract any attention.

She directed the taxi to a florist, where she picked up a bouquet of lilies, and then to a cemetery that laid outside of an old, elegant Catholic cathedral.

After four years, it was about time for her to visit Kate's grave.

The taxi driver said that he had some errands to run and would be back in an hour. Rei walked aimlessly through the cemetery, her footsteps crunching eerily on the snow as she looked around the desolate landscape, covered in white blankets of snow and ice. She let out a small breath, a white puff of fog that lingered before her face before disappearing.

She hadn't meant to snap at Kanda. And she shouldn't have said that entire "pity-me" speech. It was ridiculous—they all had their reasons to be furious. She should've held her tongue. She knew better than that.

But she hadn't come here to mull over the things she said in retaliation to her frustration. No, she came here to pay the respects she should have a long time ago, she came here to recompense for the past. Kate's grave was not terribly hard to find. Easily the biggest one in the graveyard, it laid at the right edge, protected by a small gate, covered by a thick, smooth slate of stone that illuminated the gray unhappiness of the place.

_Kate Schrödlich,  
Beloved daughter, sister, fiancée, and role model.  
1985 – 2007._

"Hey, Kate."

The words came quietly and sounded much smaller than they ought to have. Rei placed the lilies down on the ground beneath her and made a deep bow.

"So it's been a while," she exhaled. "A…a long time. I would've come sooner…I _should've _come sooner…" She bit her lower lip. She could feel the stinging sensation in her eyes and tried to hold them back—she had already promised herself that she wouldn't cry but she couldn't stop the white-hot tears from flowing down her cheeks, freezing the second they were exposed to the icy air.

"I guess I can't pretend like I thought about you everyday," she said with a shaky laugh, wiping her eyes quickly. "I…I tried everything I could precisely _not_ to think about you…to pretend like nothing happened before…"

Rei breathed in deeply, trying to stabilize her emotions before she spoke again.

"I wish you were here," she said. "So you could tell your fiancé that he's being a serious dick. Or I suppose he would be your husband now. God, Kate. What were you thinking…marriage…that's so crazy. He was eighteen. You were…well, as old as I am now, about. And I still can't fathom marriage."

She paused, knowing that she was beating around the bush. It was silly, really, because she felt that if she didn't say the words aloud, Kate would never know—but it wasn't like she could respond, wasn't like she could react, because Kate was buried under all that cold stone and frozen ground—

"I'm sorry," said Rei. "For…for what happened four years ago. For what…for what my dad did. And even more so…for not being able to tell anyone about it. For hiding away instead." She twisted her scarf tightly around her hands, and she spoke again, with renewed strength. "Kate…I don't know if I'll be able to do it. To publicize it. But…I know. It's going to have to happen eventually. And I hope…I hope you'll forgive me. For waiting so long. Bookman, too."

"Forgive you for what?" said a voice behind her.

She screamed slightly and whipped around, coming face to face with Lavi. She hadn't heard him approach at all, had been too immersed in talking to notice the quiet crunches of his boots on snow.

He looked at her levelly, curiously. From his hand dangled a bouquet of roses, and from beneath the canopy of his hat that did a half-decent job of concealing his bright red hair, Rei could spot a cigarette burning feebly from his lips.

She only prayed he hadn't heard everything she'd said. That he'd just gotten there.

"What did your dad have to do with Kate's death?" demanded Lavi.

Unfortunately, but like always, her luck never stretched that far.


	48. Husks of Memory

**Chapter 5: Husks of Memory**

He didn't like to admit it to the others, but he visited Kate's grave more often than not. Usually it was a quick stop, to drop flowers down on her sad and lonely resting place. Other times, when he was feeling especially pensive, he sat down in front of it, staring into thin air and thinking, unmoving for hours. It was more sentimental than it should've been. He was sometimes curious as to why he stayed for so long and came so frequently to see a woman who was very much dead, even if she had been his fiancée.

He had thought at first that it was just a phase—he'd been caught up in the shock of her death, right after his sudden decision to propose to her after only knowing her for a few months. He remembered his grandfather's reaction to the news ("Fool, you have no idea what you're doing! You are still a boy—you don't understand that marriage is not a temporary thing!") and his odd expression of sympathy after her death ("…Come home to study some. It will make you feel better.") even though Lavi doubted books would provide him the same sort of detachment that they used to.

As the years passed, it was not like he obsessed over Kate. Days went by when he didn't give her a single thought. Other times, it was difficult to not think about her, and the circumstances around her death. Lavi could not shake the feeling that he was missing something—her death, coupled with Rei's disapperance, was like a mathematical formula missing integral variables. He had no solid answers, and it aggravated him.

So when the answer was standing right in front of him, in the form of a fragile, cold-swept woman who had avidly hidden from him for four years, a woman he was close to hating, he didn't miss the opportunity to shake the answer out of her.

"What did your dad have to do with it?" he said icily when she didn't reply the first time.

Rei's expressions changed subtly now; Lavi had to admit that before, she had been much easier to read, but he still didn't miss the emotions that laced her features in succession: guilt, then anxiety, then after a long while, resignation.

"Why don't you go ahead and set your flowers down, and say a few things," said Rei quietly. "I'll tell you when we get under cover; I don't want to be seen arguing over Kate's grave."

Her words, for some reason, calmed him. He had been bracing himself for her indignation, her refusal to answer. Lavi would've certainly snapped then—he'd been waiting much too long to deal with her ridiculous reasons—but she didn't protest, and simply gave him the assurance that she would tell him everything he had been looking for.

The thought that she would run while his back would turned crossed his mind, but Lavi pushed it aside. Rei stood rigidly behind him as Lavi placed the roses next to the white lilies.

_Finally_, he thought bitterly, _looks like I'm going to get answers, Kate. You'd probably be pissed if you saw me treating Rei like this. But I need that closure. I can apologize after I get it._

* * *

They sat in a café, one that Lavi frequented and that allowed them to have a private room away from the eyes of the customers. Lavi drank his coffee black and sipped it without tasting it as he surveyed Rei, who, as she sat across from him, clutched the ceramic mug in her hands blankly, as if it were the sole source of warmth in the heated room. The artistic foam-made leaf seemed to be a topic of fascination for her; she tipped the mug slightly in an attempt to straighten it, only bringing it to her lips after her fascination expired.

"Do you know how Eiji Matsumomo's doing?" she said suddenly.

Her mind had clearly not been occupied with the leaf.

Lavi noticed that she had used her father's name instead of properly addressing him, but he let it slide and instead answered her question systematically.

"I'm not sure," he replied. "He's not someone I check up on. I just know that Mikk was forced to attend his and Lulu's wedding, and he was not a happy person after that."

Rei nodded absentmindedly.

"Bookman…what do you think about that?"

"…About what?"

"Do you think he's been a happy person?"

"Your dad?"

Rei nodded. "Do you think any of us have been happy?"

Lavi shrugged. "Sometimes. When we forget about the grand scheme of things, happiness always seems more attainable. So I think it's impossible to say that we haven't been happy at some point over the last four years."

"Which is why Tyki likes doing drugs, and the rest of us enjoy getting shit-faced," she said. "Forgetting is best. Ignorance is bliss. And yet every single thing you do just radiates of your unhappiness and your desire to make everyone else around you equally so."

The turn of conversation surprised him. Before he had a chance to rebut her accusation, Rei cut him off and continued.

"What was the purpose of making Tyki my next door neighbor? Was there an honest-to-God reason other than spite? Did you seriously think my being next door would help in some way? As if I could just _fix_ him through osmosis?"

Lavi didn't have an answer. Rei looked at him intently, but her gaze wasn't accusatory, nor was it malicious. He, for the first time since he'd found her, felt the gentle tidings of guilt and conscience stir in him.

"I just wanted to point out," she said softly, "that all of you have turned a bit more sadistic than you used to be. I've already talked to Kanda—probably not in the nicest manner…but it's unlike you both. At least Tyki was plain dark to begin with…but I suppose I'm just trying to ask if you two wouldn't be so malicious when it comes to trying to tell me how much you two have suffered over the years."

"I—"

"That's all," said Rei, her eyes closing. She had clearly said what she'd meant to. "I'll tell you about Kate now."

* * *

Lavi let her talk. He had expected it to take a long time, with a lot of pausing, a lot of word-searching…but it didn't. Rei spoke clearly and smoothly, as if the words had been planned in her head for a long, long time, as if every word she spoke was a gigantic load off her chest, and she spoke in a flat, neutral tone. She didn't try to plead her case. She didn't try to elicit pity or understanding. The only tint of emotion she had was a sliver of anger, unadulterated hatred, when she spoke of the yakuza, of Lulu, and of her father. But the rest was so impassive that she could've been reading from a textbook, bored and uninvolved.

There was an extended pause after she finished speaking. Rei's eyes had glazed over as she stared unseeingly out the window, where the snow was falling gently on the already cold ground.

For a rare moment in his life, Lavi's brain didn't function. He could not seem to absorb the information—he had never thought of Rei's father as a factor in the accident. Perhaps it was because he and Rei hadn't been that close, and he had regarded their situation with the yakuza as almost a joke. Or, more likely, he had been so intent on incriminating Rei that he had been too blind to see any other factors.

Rei abruptly turned her gaze to him.

"Bookman?"

He realized that unnoticed tears were actually sliding down his face—he hastily turned to the side, surprised even with his sudden display of emotion. He was not aware of what he was feeling; was it relief, shock, apathy? His body had reacted before his mind could grasp the situation—this never happened—he was not so sentimental.

Rei bared a brief smile, one that evaporated quickly. She looked pained as she watched him, but she did not cry, which made Lavi, after he recovered himself, feel extremely foolish.

"Ahem," he said, clearing his throat. "I…"

"I'm sorry, Lavi."

Again her voice was neutral—she had stated her apology simply and non-dramatically. Perhaps it was this tone of voice that prevented Lavi from being angry. His harsh antagonism towards Rei had diminished to a minimum, for he seemed to understand what she was saying, what and why she had chosen to leave—because no matter how much he would hate her father now, Lavi could not imagine losing the very last bit of his own family. Rei had had her reasons—and therefore to some degree was exonerated, at least…at least a little bit.

"I suppose I shouldn't even bother asking why you didn't tell me then," said Lavi, his voice raspy. "I would've sent the bastard straight to hell."

Rei didn't respond.

"But…but was it _worth _it, Rei?" he continued, now growing frustrated. "Leaving us, letting you and the rest of us suffer—just so he could be _left alone_?" His voice had grown harsh and hateful—already the antagonism towards Rei was being channeled in a new direction, and he could feel the familiar bouts of blinded rage cloud his vision. But Rei, sensing a storm and attempting to avert it, quickly picked up her side of the conversation.

"These last years," she said, "I did everything I could to become the exact opposite of what I used to be. I've lost all my bodyguard skills. I've gotten drunk an appalling amount of times. I've become emotionally detached when it comes to relationships and sex—essentially, I've become one of the superficial people we all are now, thoughtless and insubstantial. I don't know if this would impact my dad any. I just know eventually, I wasn't just doing it to spite him but also to forget who I was back then, the girl who emulated everything her father was and the girl who ultimately couldn't turn him in for killing her best friend. I left all that, hoping I wouldn't ever have to face it all again." She gave a twisted smile. "Of course, you all found me again…and here I am, having told you the truth, confronted by this problem of whether I should turn him in or not."

Lavi opened his mouth to insist that if she was not going to do it, he was going to go straight to Portugal and figure out where he could get some evidence and nail the bastard. But he closed his mouth, thinking, for it seemed like Rei had more to say.

"Give me six months," said Rei quietly. "Don't let anyone know the truth—don't tell Tyki, Kanda, or Allen."

"Why?" said Lavi incredulously. "You…they'd get it—they'd understand—"

"Not Tyki," she said. "No matter what happened…I should've stayed. He would've understood back then—he would've wanted to be my support, to…to help me. But it was that—he would've just wanted to help by sending Eiji to jail. To Tyki…if he finds someone who is important to him, he'll abandon all else to preserve what he wants to keep safe. We were both rather selfish like that." She smiled oddly at this. "Or, rather, perhaps I valued myself more than he valued himself back then—and now."

"No," she continued, and her voice was so quiet by this point that Lavi strained to hear, "if I were to tell Tyki all this…it would only be an excuse. My not telling him the truth comes back to the essential problem of trust—or lack thereof—that we had before. It wouldn't change a thing. If anything, it would make things worse. Because at the end of the day…the problem child back then was me, not him…"

Her sentence trailed off, as if she no longer knew what to say in continuation. Lavi remained still, unsure as well of what to think, to say. Then…

"Give me some time, Bookman. There…there are some things I need to do. But I swear, when everything is over…my dad…"

"Let me do it," said Lavi. "I won't put that burden on you…I won't make you turn your own dad in."

Rei smiled again, somewhat crookedly, but said nothing. It suddenly struck Lavi just how much distance the two of them had just covered, a boundary that he would've deemed impossible to cross just a mere hour ago. And for some reason, after four years of mulling, grief, confusion, and much frustration, he felt calm. He felt…at peace.

So this was what closure was.

And Rei kept smiling at him in that strange way, and Lavi knew that it was the only way she was holding back any tears or emotions, so he leaned over the table, and despite the awkward positioning, he pulled her in a close hug, that after four years of almost hating her to the core, he conveyed his forgiveness, his apology, and at long last, the acceptance of her existence.

* * *

"Back to the apartment now?" said Lavi as Rei climbed into the passenger's seat of his Lamborghini, her arms laden with groceries.

"Mm…" she checked the bags. "Yeah, I think that should be it. Would you like some dinner?"

"Sorry," said Lavi, starting the car. "I have a meeting for dinner."

He had to meet with Kanda about a few things.

"Business or romantic?"

Lavi snorted. "Romantic, of course. You should know that I secretly pine away for Kanda's undying affection every night."

Rei looked appalled at this suggestion, but her expression quickly melted into a short laugh.

"I should've known. He's the leading cause of turning straight men gay."

"His hair does not help his case," muttered Lavi. "I've told him over and over again—_cut off the ponytail_. It would save his ass on so many occasions."

Rei was curious. "Meaning?"

"Oh, only the many instances when they'd stroke his hair and—" He made his voice husky and deep. "'Oh, Mr. Kanda…you look so fabulous tonight—could I offer you a drink? And, perhaps if that strikes your fancy, a bit more…'" Lavi raised his eyebrows suggestively, "'intimate services upstairs?'"

Rei laughed and shook her head as she tried to speak amidst chortles.

"Oh my goodness," she said. "If I ever get to see Kanda's reaction to that…my life will be complete."

"You might," said Lavi as he turned right. "There's going to be an event for _Illusion_ next week—you'll be attending."

Rei looked wary. Lavi decided to be upfront with everything.

"There's a high likelihood that Kanda will want you to work for him."

"No," said Rei flatly.

"His reasons aren't what you think they are. He withdrew from the modeling scene four years ago because Cross said that he wasn't going to improve by himself."

"Tell him to find someone else."

"Well we certainly can't have you working at the cash register or something," said Lavi exasperatedly.

"Then I'll get a desk job or something," said Rei blandly.

"Oh," said Lavi, realizing that that was a potential answer, "I suppose we could arrange that at _Illusion_."

"You can't just let me find a job by myself?" she said sardonically. "I happen to be in college, you know. Interviews are sort of routine."

"You might end up in some shady place with a sexually-harassing boss," said Lavi warningly. "You should just let us organize it."

They pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex. A valet approached to take the keys and park the car, but Lavi waved him aside.

"It's fine, I'm just dropping her off," he said to the valet. "Rei, are you going to need help with all those groceries?"

"No, I got it. Bookman, tell Kanda no means no. I don't want to be anywhere near him for work. I might just explode if I am."

"Er…" That was not an easy message to convey. "I'll do my best?"

Rei nodded appreciatively.

"And no socialite gatherings for me."

"Wait, what? No, we need to at least show you in public to let everyone know that we didn't kill you or something—"

"Truthfully," said Rei wryly, "I don't think anyone would care. Besides, if word gets out that I'm living in some exotic penthouse like this one—" She gestured distastefully behind her, "everyone's going to think I have like…four sugar daddies or something."

Lavi blanched. He hadn't thought of it that way.

"You know, Bookman," she said, "if I didn't know you better, I'd think you were stupider than you let on."

Lavi didn't reply. He honestly thought the same. He'd slipped up one too many times lately—he was going to have to run everything by Kanda a few times to make sure that their plans were remotely sane.

* * *

"You didn't call me when you landed," said Mira, sounding rather upset.

"Sorry," sighed Rei as she put her groceries up in their appropriate places. "It's been…hectic."

"Tell me about it…I have to deal with all these moronic reporters while I fight my way to class…it's bad enough through the snow."

"Sorry," winced Rei. "I…didn't mean to trouble you so much."

"Oh, it's fine," she replied. "I've learned how to get my way around pretty efficiently…and I've come up with the most interesting disguises."

Rei chuckled. "So how is everything?"

"Well, I bumped into Elle and she said it wasall Teresa—Elle wouldn't have done that to Allen Walker, apparently—and so the two of them aren't even speaking right now. Elle asked me if it were okay for her to move in with me but she wanted to check with you first, except you haven't replied anyone's phone calls or texts."

"Yeah, I sort of ignored my 145 missed calls, a good fifty percent that came from Eric, and the two hundred text messages…tell her it's fine, I won't be back for a while. Make sure she splits the rent with you though—I don't have any money to pay you for a house that I'm not even living in."

"All right, I'll let her know. So how's London?"

"Cold."

"Genius," chuckled Mira. "No, I mean, have you seen your ex and all?"

Rei thought briefly of their encounter earlier in the day. "Yeah."

"And? On a scale of one to ten, how well did it go?"

Rei thought for a long time. "Uh…probably a three."

"_What_? How? I even coached you through the appropriate statements you should've said to him! That would've ensured at least a seven!"

"Uh, yeah, that didn't happen…I sort of adlibbed the entire thing…" Rei winced as she thought of the words they'd exchanged. "You know, I'd probably re-rate that to be a one and a half…"

"_How_?"

"It was completely unexpected, I didn't have time to prepare myself mentally," she answered. "Turns out Lavi Bookman made him my effing next door neighbor—"

"What a dick move."

"Yeah, well, we talked, so hopefully he'll stop being such an ass," said Rei. "In the meantime, could you like…disable Eric's phone, somehow? Or just make him stop contacting me? It's getting a little creepy."

"Hasn't he always been creepy?" muttered Mira.

"Yes, but…his texts have been getting a bit…vulgar."

"How?"

"…I'd rather not say. I've deleted them all, and I'm trying to see if I can block him…"

"Should you report it?" said Mira worriedly. "If he's threatening you, you can ask for a restraining order or something."

"We're an ocean away, so I don't think I'm going to get killed," laughed Rei weakly. "I'd just rather not read such degrading things every time I turn on my phone."

There was a creaking sound from the living room, causing Rei to freeze and listen intently. Unconsciously, she prayed that it was just her imagination, but the kitchen grew a little colder as uninvited winter winds were ushered in, and then there was the sound of footsteps slowly approaching.

Rei grabbed a kitchen knife from the set she had bought earlier and inched towards the entrance to the kitchen. Mira was still talking animatedly in her ear, oblivious to the sudden approach of danger.

"See, life would've just been so much easier if you'd listened to what I said and actually evaluated your choices before dating Selssen—he's bringing you so much trouble and—"

"Who's there?" called Rei hesitantly to the not-so-empty apartment.

"Is something wrong?" said Mira worriedly.

"Eric, if that's you and you flew over an ocean to just act like a dumbass and kill me because I didn't pick up your phone calls—"

"What the hell are you talking about?" said Tyki skeptically as he appeared in her field of vision.

Rei let out a relieved sigh and put down the knife on the counter.

"Oh, it's just you," she said. "Hey, Mira, I'll call you back later, all right?"

"It's not Selssen, is it?" said Mira, scandalized.

"No, no, it's…I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Sure thing."

She hung up and turned to face Tyki, who looked as if he were trying not to look humored.

"You've done something to warrant death threats?" he inquired lightly.

"No, it's nothing," she exhaled, running a hand through her hair. "Just…forget about it."

"Who's Eric?"

"No one," she said, privately wishing that she'd never met Eric to begin with.

"An ex?" guessed Tyki, walking into the kitchen without invitation.

"No, well, yes, but that's besides the point," she said coolly. "What are you doing in here? You didn't even knock."

"Ah, yes. You left your door ajar—I could hear every word of your conversation. So you've been dating a stalker?"

"What are you here for?" said Rei tiredly.

"To bother you, essentially," said Tyki easily, leaning back against the counter. "So the stalker's Eric?"

"Why do you care?"

Tyki adopted an expression of mock concern. "Of course I should care when my ex-girlfriend is getting threatened by men who would actually fly across oceans to find her—wow, your value must be really high, mm?"

"Of course," said Rei sweetly, "I've had many men fly across oceans to find me. Unfortunately, you're not one of them, are you?"

Tyki's smirk grew dark. "Sensitive, aren't you?"

Rei shook her head and turned back to her original task of unloading the groceries. "No, I must say that I didn't expect it from you to begin with."

"That I wouldn't look for you? What little faith."

"Seriously, I knew you well enough to know that you couldn't stand looking for me. I'm guessing you were in a frenzy for…a week, max, before calming down and obliterating any kind feelings you had for me."

Tyki didn't answer, and when Rei turned around to grab the knife that she'd lain aside, she noticed that his expression had become unreadable. She knew that she had speculated correctly.

"…So what were you like in that first week?" he said after a pregnant pause.

Rei hadn't expected the question, and stopped what she was doing as she pondered it. Not once since she'd been found had anyone asked her how fucked up she'd been in the beginning, and because no one had asked, she'd almost forgotten.

The recollection came vaguely, but the memories that did come were sharp and poignant, and she could remember distinct instances where she found it hard to think, to function coherently, but then she had forced herself to, to remember that she needed to get out of Portugal without being detected.

"Numb, I think," she heard herself saying. "There were moments when I wasn't really sure if I was awake or not. I just remembered that…"

There had been a lot of crying. But in the moments she hadn't been seized with regret, she'd thought rather clearly. Dying her hair and cutting it had been the first thing. She withdrew everything from her bank account remotely. Everything else was a blur…she'd found a hotel…then a way to board an international flight…

She felt herself sighing, one long, deep exhalation.

"That was a long time ago," Rei said. There was no point in telling Tyki. "I don't remember much of it."

A silence ensued, punctuated by the rustling of bags as she resumed her task, finally putting the tomatoes in the fridge and tossing all the empty bags under the sink.

"Why did you leave?" said Tyki, and his voice was much closer than she'd expected. She jumped slightly, realizing that she could feel his smoky breath passing over the top of her head.

"What do you think?" she said carefully, choosing not to face him in case her expression betrayed the sudden jump in her heartbeat.

His hand abruptly came up to her neck, causing her to stiffen as his long fingers trailed down to the dip of it before extending up to cup her chin. It was a much gentler touch than earlier today, lingering and warm, and it brought with it an influx of old memories. Of quiet hand-holding to light traces up her arms to pattern-making up her sides and then to kisses and old talks and peace—

He turned her face towards him and she could feel the warmth of his mouth near hers before Tyki smirked and said, very close to her ear,

"I'm high right now."

He let go of her and left without another word. Rei simply remained where she was, her grip tightening on her elbows.

"Of course," she found herself muttering. "Of course."

* * *

"You _told_ her?" said Kanda, furious.

"Uh, yeah, I might've let it slip…"

"What happened to 'We're just going to scare the shit out of her and make her a model, and if she gets mad, who cares?'" said Kanda. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Well, she told me I should stop be so sadistic…" said Lavi as he eyed his steak with a critical glare. "I thought she was right to some degree. She said she told you the same thing."

"And did I cave?" retorted Kanda. "No, I didn't—you know what you should do, Bookman? Actually grow a pair of fucking balls."

"Passing over my balls—what the hell, Kanda, you're the one who looks like a fucking girl—"

"Sorry I'm just that much more desirable to all sexes—"

"Oh, now you're_ proud_ of being the fantasy of all gay men?"

"Are you two done yet?" said a deeply amused voice from the entrance.

The two of them turned to see Cross Marian at the doorway, followed by Allen and Lenalee.

"Thank God," said Kanda feverishly. "Go talk some sense into this idiot—he's chickening out."

"I'm not," said Lavi sourly. "There are just a few kinks to work out."

"What in the world are you guys talking about?" said Lenalee, bewildered.

Kanda frowned. "What are you two doing here?"

"We happen to be Shishou's personal chauffeurs," said Allen, clearly unimpressed with his degrading status. "I thought I'd at least get a free meal."

"I'm not paying," said Lavi automatically. "It's all on Kanda, so eat to your bottomless pit of a stomach's desire, Allen."

"Gee, really?" said Allen, his mood brightening up. "That's awful nice of you, Kan—"

"In your fucking dreams would I ever be _nice_," said Kanda scathingly.

"I should've known," muttered Allen, sitting down at the long dinner table regardless. "Still, send in the food already—I'm starving."

"And let us in on the news," said Lenalee, frowning. "I can't help but think that you're all up to something."

"What made you change your mind, Bookman?" asked Cross as he sat down as well. "Feeling guilty at last?"

"No," he said shortly. "Maybe."

Kanda looked thunderstruck. "Really?"

"Look, I don't see the point of doing this," said Lavi. "She's not going to be happy at all with it, and the entire point of her coming back is so that she can do something about Mikk."

"That's _your_ point," said Kanda. "We all had other reasons."

"What are you guys talking about?" said Lenalee impatiently.

Kanda rolled his eyes. "I want Matsumomo to be the model for _Illusion_'s spring collection."

"What?" said Lenalee, aghast. "No! Certainly not!"

"I told you she wouldn't agree," said Allen under his breath.

Lenalee rounded on him. "You knew? And agreed?"

"No…" said Allen slowly, "I didn't _agree_. I honestly haven't made up my mind about it yet. There are merits, certainly, but I don't think Rei will agree."

"What merits?" said Lenalee firmly. "She's just come back after four years of living incognito—you don't honestly expect her to want to be back in the spotlight, do you?"

"She's going to be in the spotlight anyway," responded Kanda. "She just miraculously came back from the dead—the media's already having a field day. A little more exposure won't hurt."

"That's ridiculous! Give it two months and no one will care anymore—if you announce that she'll be working for you again, people will assume nasty things!"

"Let them assume, since when have I cared for what the public says?" retorted Kanda.

"She's not a model," insisted Lavi. "If you really wanted a good complement—"

"You want her to complement you?" said Lenalee, now battling this new revolution. "_You're_ going to start modeling again?"

"God," said Kanda, frustrated, "why did you have to come?"

"Here, I'll explain it all," said Cross, who had been surveying the scene with simple indifference. "Lenalee, I told Kanda here that I didn't think he was going to improve as a model after that Chanel shoot. I also told him that the only way he was going to bring something new to the camera was if he shot with Rei again."

"That's because he was in _love_ with her," sniggered Allen, ignoring the seriousness of the conversation and cramming his mouth with mashed potatoes. "And love brings a smile to _everybody's_ face, even Ba-Kanda—"

"Bean sprout, I'm going to take away your food if you keep talking," said Kanda murderously.

"No problem, I'll pay for it," said Allen offhandedly. "That contract we signed is going to feed me for the next thirty years—"

"Then I'll terminate it."

Allen looked hurt. "You can't do that."

"Watch me, idiot," seethed Kanda. "Now shut up and tell your girlfriend that life would be a lot better if she didn't stick her nose in everyone's business—"

"Really, Kanda?" said Lenalee dryly. "You're going to talk like that when I saved your ass from Sybil Lefevre's lawsuit for defamation?"

"That bitch had it coming—and who the hell defamed her? Completely idiotic—"

"She said that you guys made a sex tape," deadpanned Lenalee.

Allen choked on his steak.

"What the fuck?" said Lavi, scandalized, patting Allen on the back. "Even I didn't hear of this! Why did you leave me out of the loop, Kanda?"

"There wasn't a sex tape!" said Kanda, enraged with the turn of conversation. "What the fuck, Lenalee, what are you trying to play at?"

"Showing you just what I could do to your reputation," she said lightly. "I'm kidding, guys, there isn't a sex tape. You really think prudish Kanda would do that?"

"Oh, he's not the only prudish one around here…" said Lavi, grinning and nudging Allen, who glared at him as he tried to clear his throat. "We've heard quite the interesting news from little Allen over here…"

"Please," said Lenalee, rolling her eyes, "just because you two are maniacs doesn't mean—"

"Oi," said Cross, "could we turn the conversation elsewhere? I hate hearing about your sad and unfulfilling sex lives."

"Great," snapped Kanda. "So we're all agreed to let me do whatever the hell I want?"

"No," said Lavi. "I think you should rethink making Rei your model. Your project will fall flat."

"How the hell would you know?"

"Because you're not in love with her anymore," said Lavi. "That's what _made_ your photo last time—if you guys aren't going to feel anything, you're going to get nothing."

"I think it's worth a shot," said Cross. "If you were worried about Rei's popularity, Bookman, then you should've just left her alone in New York. Now that the whole world knows about her, I don't see the harm of roping her back into the industry—if anything, it's better this way than for her to work as a commoner, where she'll just be harassed."

"She doesn't need to work," said Lenalee. "It'd be better if she just focused on getting back to normal—a modeling career isn't going to help her. It's just going to make her more exposed."

"So you and Bookman are no," said Kanda, "Marian and I are yes, which leaves…you, bean sprout. I don't really care what you think, but if you agree with us, then maybe you can convince your girlfriend, and we'll have a unanimous consensus."

"I don't exist?" said Lavi sarcastically.

Kanda ignored him.

"I…I just want the best for Rei," sighed Allen with a shrug. "For some reason, though, I think if she can produce something that can be beneficial to her image in the public, that'll help her a lot…and I think regardless of what things turn out to be emotionally between her and Kanda…well, at least they'll have cleared things up. And Shishou doesn't take shitty pictures, so there's nowhere for Rei's reputation to go but up after they've been released. She might…er…object at first…and might receive some hate…but I suppose there's nothing we can do about that."

"But…" Lenalee was not convinced.

"It's fine, Lenalee," said Allen consolingly. "There's not much that could go wrong…"

Lavi privately disagreed, but there was no point in arguing. Now to the issue of whether he would alert Rei or not…he winced at the thought. Perhaps he'd just let things play out.

* * *

"Call me if you want another round sometime, mm?"

The words were always said to him after a nightly appointment, but he never took up their offers. To repeat a night meant to repeat an attachment, and though he felt nothing, he wanted to reiterate that women were simply not important enough for him to think about again.

Tyki was extemporaneously addressing his situation with Rei. He had to admit that he needed to be careful around her—lingering touches always seemed to mean a little more with her, and…it was difficult to suppress old memories, especially when she had dyed her hair back to black and taken out her contacts…she looked much like how he remembered her to be, older now and more mature-looking…but still, old Rei meant old Tyki, and he could not help thinking about the past.

The doorbell rang, jolting him up. He chanced a look at the clock—it was one in the morning. Who the hell…perhaps it was Rei. That would be interesting.

Tyki climbed out of bed and pulled on his clothes as he walked to the main entrance and yanked the door open. Much to his surprise, it was Lavi Bookman, dressed warmly and with a cigarette propped between his teeth.

"Yo. Want to go for a drive?"

Tyki looked at him incredulously. "It's one in the morning, Bookman."

"I figured you'd be up." He pointed a thumb at the staircase. "I saw a beautiful brunette I'd never seen before just walk away, after all."

Tyki frowned but nevertheless reached for his jacket and shoes. After double-checking that he had his lighter and a new pack of cigarettes, he stepped out and followed Lavi down the stairs.

"Man, where do you _meet_ these women?" said Lavi. "I swear, I go to more parties than you and I still don't know where half your women come from—"

"They're not all celebrities," said Tyki, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. "Some are from the universities or just somewhere around here—I don't really discriminate."

"Don't you worry about contracting something?" said Lavi lightly.

Tyki shrugged. "I always use a condom, so it's fine. Not like the world needs any baby Tyki's, anyway."

"Agreed," said the Brit feverishly as they climbed into his car. "Lord knows what we do with just you…"

Tyki smiled wryly as Lavi started the car and pulled onto the roads, driving aimlessly.

"So," said Lavi slowly, "no questions?"

"You're a dick."

"Touché."

"Why the hell did you make her move in next door?"

"…Sheer spite?" said Lavi sheepishly.

"Are you kidding me?"

"Well, sort of," said Lavi hastily. "I was thinking about spiting _her_, not you…my bad, man. It's all right, you don't have to see her if you don't want to."

"Fat chance," murmured Tyki.

"Look, give her a break, all right? She's been through a lot."

Tyki arched an eyebrow. "Oh, change of heart, Bookman? Not the words I would've expected from you."

Lavi shrugged. "Not quite forgive and forget, but we're all a bit fucked up at this point, so why not cut each other some slack?"

"Forget it," said Tyki snappishly. "What did you call me out for?"

"Just to relax," said Lavi as he accelerated in the empty roads. "I meant to tell you that Kanda wants to invite you to that party at _Illusion_ next week."

"I haven't been to an event with him since that debacle of a Prada one—they never invited us to the same event again."

"It's for his own company, so if he invited you, he probably thinks you should be there."

"Why?" said Tyki suspiciously.

Lavi shrugged again. "Dunno. He's weird like that."

Tyki debated briefly if he should ask the question that was bothering him, then decided to go for it.

"Is Rei going to be there?"

Lavi glanced his way. "I was going to ask her to come with me."

"…I thought Kanda would," said Tyki conversationally.

"Yeah right. He's got another French woman."

"Who?"

"Er…I think it was Leila…"

"Leila Fontaine?"

"Yeah."

He thought vindictively that Leila had asked Tyki to accompany her to a Yves Saint Laurent event two weeks ago, meaning that he'd gotten to her first. It was a passing thought, one that was utterly stupid in retrospect, so Tyki didn't voice it aloud.

"So. Are you coming?"

"We'll see," said Tyki, breathing in deeply.

They let the whirring of the engine speak as they both lapsed into their own tumultuous thoughts, eased by the smoke of their cigs and the fast paced movement of the car.

So Lavi Bookman had had a change of heart. Tyki vaguely wondered why, but did not ask. Perhaps it was because he was weak. Because Rei had pled her case.

Who would be next? Kanda? Certainly.

But he would not yield. He could not slip up, could not let the unconscious feelings of anticipation fill him, the disappointment settle when he'd opened the door and it hadn't been Rei, and—no. He couldn't dwell on the past or it would shake his resolve.

No more memories.

* * *

_free talk:_

_hello! :) i hope you enjoyed this chapter. sorry things are slowing down - i've been reaching a writer's block again. i don't think i planned this arc out as well as i should've..._

_lj later once i think a little more. in the meantime, be nice and review! last chapter's reception was sad. :(_

_thanks for everything!_

_xoxo,  
m.n _


	49. Fairytale Doll

**Chapter 6: Fairytale Doll**

"I got it? You're not joking?"

"I am one hundred percent serious, Miss Chang," said her academic advisor with a broad smile. "Needless to say, the competition was _incredible_—and look at you! You beat out a good majority of Harvard, Oxford, and Cambridge applicants—you should be ecstatically proud of yourself."

In her twenty years of existence, Mira Chang had cried a total of five times excluding the typical crying during her infant years. Three times came from coming in second place in math, English, and piano competitions respectively. One was on D-Day, when all the Ivy Leagues had released their decisions and she had been accepted to every school—that had been out of a mixture of happiness and frustration. The last time was right before she came to NYU, when she'd had a psychological breakdown over her future and when the fighting with her parents had gotten out of control. Upon arriving at NYU, she hadn't cried but had started cutting to relieve herself of the stress and difficulties she had coping with her sense of self-existence and awareness—but she had gotten over that hurdle, painfully and long-term, but she was at a stage now that was content and stable.

The news that her academic advisor now broke to her nearly moved Mira to tears. It was the same sensation of utmost happiness and completion, having learned that she'd gotten one of the most competitive internships in the UK—a semester of studying at Cambridge and also shadowing at Cambridge's Medical School, number one in the UK. She would also be given the opportunity to shadow at hospitals around London, a mere fifty minutes away—it was an incredible opportunity.

"Thank you," said Mira, in a near daze.

"What for?" chuckled her professor. "It's well deserved, Mira. It looks like you'll conclude this semester having maintained your 4.0—do minimally well on your exams and you'll still be fine. You should spend your winter break peacefully, but plan for a very busy yet rewarding semester in England. I expect to hear good reports of you."

"Of course," said Mira breathlessly. "Thank you so much, professor. Have a wonderful break."

Mira left the office in such a state of euphoria that she forgot completely about her status as the former roommate of the world's most obscure celebrity—the moment she stepped out of the building, a microphone was shoved under her nose.

"Mira Chang!" said a male reporter whose nose was turning blue from the cold. "If we could have a few words with you—"

"You certainly may," said Mira genially, "but may I offer you a suggestion first?"

The reporter looked bemused. "I…suppose?"

"It would be a much more efficient waste of your time to not follow me around and to actually go and spend some time with your family," she said, giving him a lovely smile. His frozen pallor suddenly grew red. "You also look like you're going to freeze to death—you know your nose is blue, don't you?"

She gave a very uncharacteristic giggle at his stunned expression and bounded away without further ado—she was in high spirits and even those shoddy reporters could not dampen them. She would let Rei know that she was going to be only an hour's train ride away from her, meaning that they could meet up over the weekend and catch up.

It had almost been a week since Rei had left to London. Mira admitted that she missed her, but she also thought her leaving had been so abrupt that she was not quite certain it had even happened. The two of them had Skyped frequently, and by the sounds of it, Rei was not incredibly happy back in London. Mira did not blame her—Rei's situation seemed pretty shitty.

"Hey! Chang!" a voice called behind her.

Mira turned around and immediately regretted it. Eric Selssen ran up to her; lingering behind him were a few of his frat brothers, who all looked rather shifty with embarrassment as Selssen approached her.

"What do you want, Selssen?" said Mira, already bored.

"Have you heard from Mimi—I mean, Rei?" he said obstinately.

"Yeah."

"Then why hasn't she contacted me?" said Eric, incensed.

"I dunno," said Mira dryly, "maybe because you guys _broke up ages ago_. Did that ever register in your peanut-sized brain, or do I need to get a plane to spell it out in the sky?"

"We said it was a break," insisted Eric.

"Because she saw you mackin' with some other girl? Right. I don't think so. She has more self-respect than that."

"Listen here, you bitch—"

"Oi!" called Mira to one of the guys lurking in the back. "Yeah, you! Porter—don't you look away, I know you see me—tell your _bro_ Selssen to knock it off, would you? Use that enchanted bromance of yours to make it clear to him that Rei Matsumomo doesn't want anything to do with him—in the meantime, tell him to get all the douchebaggery out of his system or I'll make sure he never gets laid again."

"Bitch—"

"Oh please," snapped Mira, "go away, would you? And stop stalking her. It's creepy."

She turned to leave, but Selssen grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her back roughly. Fed up at last, Mira spun around and kicked him between the legs mercilessly. Selssen let out a howl of misery as he fell to his knees, clutching his now severely wounded manhood and pride.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," said Mira coolly. "Knock it off, all right?"

She left without another word, not giving Selssen another thought. Her high spirits were untouchable.

* * *

"How many times do I have to say no, Bookman?" said Rei sourly after Lavi barged into her apartment with another set of dresses for the umpteenth time in the last week.

"I have never been rejected this many times by the same woman," muttered the redhead as he collapsed on the IKEA sofa. "Why are you so _stubborn_?"

"I have no desire to appear at a party only to be ridiculed," she said simply, peeling an apple. "Why don't you just leave me in peace?"

"Why?" he sighed. "It's not like you're getting anywhere with Mikk."

Rei kept silent. Lavi was right—Rei and Tyki had barely exchanged words in the last few days, other than the random moments she would bump into him when she walked outside and saw him smoking a joint with some woman—always a different one. She was never sure what to do when she saw him—clearly she was not comfortable with his explicit drug abuse, because even for her own recklessness over the last few years, drugs were always declined with a firm no, as were cigarettes and prescription meds. Tyki did not have any restraints, though, which made Rei worry more than she wanted to.

"I was going to make him dinner," said Rei suddenly.

Lavi looked at her in surprise.

"Really? What were you going to make him?"

Rei shrugged. "I've gotten pretty good at cooking…I thought I'd just ask." At Lavi's visible skepticism, she frowned. "What?"

"Sorry," he said, recovering himself, "I had to get over the fact that you could cook at all, and then over the fact that you were thinking of cooking for Mikk—are you stupid?"

Rei's frown deepened. "I thought it was worth a shot."

"Eating is not his priority."

"Well, I'd rather him be obese than a drug addict."

"He doesn't care. At least being a drug addict doesn't show. Fat does."

"It will eventually," she said, biting into her apple. It tasted flat. "I can't believe you just let him do that to himself, Bookman…what kind of friend are you?"

"It's not like he'd listen to me. Besides, I was doing it for a while with him."

"Why?" said Rei indignantly.

"We were depressed. Bored. You went one step further in the wrong direction—so did we."

He stood up and stretched his long limbs out before collecting all the declined dresses in his arms.

"Look, just come with me to Kanda's thing, all right? If you hate it, I won't make you come to another one with me."

"I don't want to," she muttered.

"Rei…" He had adopted a wide-eyed, innocent, pleading look.

"That doesn't work for me, Bookman."

His eyes got bigger and began to water. "Rei…"

"What are you?" she snapped. "Five?"

"Look," he said, casting aside his brilliant acting, "what are you so adamant about? Just come, all right? I'll do all the talking—you don't have to say a peep."

"I'll think about it…"

"Are you worried about how you're going to look?" said Lavi.

"Not really."

"Then why did you reject all these dresses?"

"Because, Lavi Bookman," she said sourly, "they're all Alexander McQueen. In case you haven't noticed, I would look ridiculous in his more ornate and decorative outfits."

"He's esteemed by the world!"

"I know," said Rei impatiently, "but I happen to know that he looks terrible on me, and I will never don another one of his dresses in my lifetime."

"You've done it before?" said Lavi.

"Mira made me," murmured Rei. "She had borrowed this gorgeous puffy red dress that just _swallowed_ me—I had such a hard time getting around, and then it got caught on this railing and ripped and…" Rei shuddered. "It was just such a disaster. Luckily enough, the girl she borrowed it from was filthy rich and didn't give a damn…but I looked terrible and it was just a social and fashion nightmare."

"Good…er…to hear," said Lavi. "So your…friend likes McQueen?"

"I don't think Mira really cares," said Rei. "She thinks fashion is overrated and just wears whatever she finds interesting."

"I see. So she doesn't bother to learn about the people in the fashion industry either."

Rei bared a thin smile. "You don't like her, Bookman?"

"She said she didn't like me first," he said immaturely.

"She's coming, you know—to Cambridge. She told me she got into a study abroad program at Cambridge and surrounding hospitals—she'll be here after New Year's."

"Joy," said Lavi joylessly.

"What's so bad about her?"

"She's…" Lavi struggled to find a reason, "she's cocky. And too…self-righteous. And judgmental. Just because she's intelligent doesn't give her a reason to be so…condescending."

"It sounds like she hit a nerve with you, Bookman. Is she too smart for your comfort?"

"It's not enough to rile me," said Lavi bitterly. "Forget it—she's your friend, not mine. Look, I'm making you come to the _Illusion_ gig—think of it as paying your rent."

"…Are you serious?"

"It'll just be for a few hours, Rei."

"Fine, fine," she sighed, tossing her apple core in the trash. "Nothing flashy like these dresses, Bookman."

"Your will be done, mademoiselle. It's in two days—I'll be here at…eight? Shall I take you out to dinner?"

"No," she said. "I'll be cooking."

* * *

Exactly why Rei was cooking was beyond her. It was a painfully domestic thing to do, and it had taken her much patience to learn that it, in some ways, was fun for her. After hundreds of fire hazards and the occasional dismally burnt meal, Rei learned that a happy stomach meant a happy heart, and therefore the idea of feeding Tyki stemmed from her own personal experiences.

She was probably being stupid and desperate. She found that she had no idea of how to communicate with Tyki—words were no longer their primary means to express themselves to each other. She always reverted back to her small, insignificant eighteen year old self whenever she saw him; the age gap between them then seemed to double, because Tyki was now twenty five, and her eighteen year old mentality could not understand him.

She finished a meal that night and neatly packed it into two large glass containers. Rei had spotted the Chinese takeout man deliver to Tyki's room frequently and therefore had settled on Chinese for the meal; years of living with a Chinese roommate helped considerably, for Mira craved authentic Chinese food like none other, and the two of them had learned how to cook the stuff rather ardently.

She placed the two containers into a synthetic reusable bag and then stared at it blankly, trying to plan out what she would say to Tyki.

"Hi, Tyki. I thought you'd be hungry. Here's some food."

That didn't sound quite right.

"I had extra, so I thought you could eat it."

Well, he wasn't a garbage can…

Frustrated, Rei grabbed the bag and headed out the door, determined just to wing it. She got to his doorstep and was about to knock when she spotted a pair of leopard print high heels near the doormat though, and immediately lost any desire to come into contact with him. Of course he would have a woman over. He devoured them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Rei heaved a sigh and stepped back. She was less annoyed with the actual woman than with the timing—the food was going to get cold at this rate. There was no point in knocking though—she had no desire to see a half-naked Tyki and his simpering one-night-stand behind him.

Rei withdrew into her apartment and, after debating for a second, came back out with the food and a pad of Post-It notes. She hung the food on his doorknob, and, after ascertaining that it would not fall, hastily wrote a note and sealed it to his door.

_Even assholes have to eat. _

* * *

Tyki stared at the package of food like it were some creature he had never seen before. His first instinct was to throw it away. Then it was to give it back to Rei and ridicule her for the action. Because it was definitely her handwriting, no matter how much he hated to admit that he'd recognized it instantly.

He disregarded both of these instincts, though, and instead opened the glass containers hesitantly. Maybe the food was poisoned. But it looked normal.

He sniffed at it curiously. Smelled like…soy sauce and scallions. She'd made Chinese…though he couldn't really tell by the look of it because there was no General Tso's chicken amidst the motley of vegetables. Upon closer inspection…there was barely any meat.

Tyki frowned. No meat? What kind of meal didn't have meat? Was Rei now vegetarian? Or had she eaten all the meat herself and given him the stuff she didn't want? There were carrots—Rei definitely didn't like carrots. Were these leftovers?

He was torn between going to her and refusing the food or demanding for more meat.

He felt stupid.

He found himself microwaving the food and eating it senselessly. It tasted okay. Not poisoned, at least.

On the contrary, he hadn't realized how hungry he'd been.

He kept eating.

* * *

There was a Post-It on her door the next day.

_More meat._

She frowned. Greedy bastard.

* * *

Tyki was smoking on the porch the next morning when Rei passed by him, bogged down by groceries as she struggled to talk on the phone and walk at the same time.

"Really, Mira? That's great!" A bag fell on the ground, and there was a cracking sound. "Oh, _damn it!_ My eggs!"

Tyki stared at her. The inquiry of whether she needed assistance rose in his throat.

"What? Oh, it's nothing, Mira. It's just my eggs." Rei seemed genuinely upset at this loss. "Oh…I think they're all cracked…my life sucks."

The inquiry was just about to verbalize when Rei passed by Tyki without a word and disappeared into her apartment. Then, it died.

* * *

She hung breakfast at the door shortly after Tyki had retreated into his apartment to get another cigarette. He came out only to find another red reusable bag with another two glass containers. And a yellow Post-It note on the door.

_Fatso._

He rummaged through the Tupperware. Eggs, poached and scrambled with pepper seasoning, thinly sliced potatoes, toast, fruit, and then, laying amidst the eggs like people cozily lying together against snow, were five sausages.

* * *

"The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

The saying was half true, if not more. Tyki found the food addicting. He wolfed down the breakfast and then stared into space afterward, eying the empty containers like they were the bane of his existence. Why hadn't he just thrown them out? Or given them back? She was thawing him in a manner that he had not expected entirely—it was a trap. All a trap.

But when was the last time he had actually eaten homemade food? It wasn't even amazingly good—it was just…comforting.

He was an idiot.

No more food. He had plenty of money—he could go eat out at five star restaurant if he wanted. That would be quality food. And why were they communicating in such a two-year-old manner? It wasn't like they didn't live next door to each other. She could easily just knock on his door and talk to him face-to-face. Or call him. Both methods would save trees, because that was certainly the priority.

But Tyki found the silent flirtation easier than any other form of communication they had used before. If he saw Rei's face, he felt an uncontrollable anger rise in him, and his barriers immediately came up to shield him from any onslaught of threats she represented. They could not just _talk_. Written sentences, like practice sheets in English class, were much simpler…much more comfortable.

Tyki left the Pyrex unwashed in his sink, awkwardly out-of-place in his pristine and usually unused kitchen. He wondered vaguely if Rei would keep feeding him, and if she did, if she would switch the menu up all the time. He was so absorbed with this thought process that he nearly forgot to take the prescription meds he was always used to taking. At the last moment, though, he remembered, and therefore avoided a painful dose of withdrawal.

A quarter to noon, there was a knock on his door. Tyki did not even check to see who it was before opening it, expecting not to see anything except for another reusable bag hanging on his doorknob. Much to his surprise, Rei was there instead.

She was dressed in layers and looked bulky—probably a T-shirt under a long-sleeve under a sweater which was decorated by a scarf.

Something strange reacted in him. He found her oddly arousing. The layers were enticing almost, contrary to the girls he normally saw who were rather immodestly clad. The layers gave rise to the sudden fantasy of grabbing her and peeling them off one by one until he had her bare skin under his fingers; her blue-tinged and chapped lips looked furiously kissable, her eyes beckoning—

"I need the containers," she said, looking at his neck.

Tyki blinked out of his fantasy as he registered her statement five seconds late. He blinked a few more times rapidly as punishment, to tell himself that there was no way in hell he could let those fantasies become reality because it would go against every creed he'd ever imposed.

"…Right," he said. "Hang on, I have to wash them." He stepped aside. "Come in?"

"I'll wait out here," she said thinly.

He stared at her. He could feel the anger crawling up in him unreasonably again.

"Scared I might do something?" he said coolly.

She shot him a glare. "I'm baking something. I need to hear the alarm go off."

Tyki felt stupid again.

* * *

Kanda was in his office, at his desk, with a cup of black tea and a binder full of designs spread out in front of him.

He was the kind of person who looked beautiful no matter what, but anyone who knew him decently well could tell that he had been awake for at least the last forty-eight hours and was consequently not in this brightest state of mind. Tea was losing its effect on him and he found it difficult to see straight; he took off his glasses and rubbed his temples, welcoming the sting that came when he closed his eyes.

There was a knock on the office door before it burst open without any other indication. A vein pulsed at the side of Kanda's head—he did not need any other incentives to be in a bad mood, but he knew the intruder was going to be a headache before he even opened his eyes.

"Yuu!"

"Get the fuck out," said Kanda snappishly, continuously rubbing his temples in a circular fashion and determinedly refusing to open his eyes and acknowledge the annoying waste of space in front of him.

"Aw, is Yuu tired? He must be, it's a glasses day! But Yuu looks super sexy in anything he wears, and I _especially_ like those glasses, and—"

"The fuck, Alma, stop being so freakishly gay and get the hell out—"

"I brought you tea!"

"I don't need any more tea—"

"Oh, but yes you do or else you won't be able to get through the rest of Anja's designs, and she's already back and she'll be unhappy to know that you procrastinated and left all her designs sitting at the corner of your desk for the last week—"

Kanda reluctantly opened his burning eyes.

"Anja?" he said weakly. "She's back?"

Alma nodded vigorously. God, he was wearing the most ridiculous colors. Everything was neon—his suit was neon blue, his shirt was neon turquoise, his tie was neon white—wait, was that even possible—Kanda's eyes were malfunctioning in the face of such an atrocity.

He slid on his glasses and looked the other way so that he wouldn't go blind.

"Go tell Anja that half her designs are trash, and that just because she wanted to go on vacation doesn't mean she can fudge the results—"

"I thought I told you just to look at the ones in the beginning—and I'd told you about the vacation weeks in advance, Kanda, so you should've been happy that I managed to chug out additional designs on top of the originals."

Anja Schrödlich waltzed into the office, her skin tanned slightly from her week by the Mediterranean and therefore looking a shade unnatural against her cream-colored blouse and high-waist black slacks. Now twenty years old and a graduate of Oxford, she had detracted from her original plan to be a political reporter after taking a part-time job at _Illusion_ when Kanda had first established its headquarters. It had only taken her a day to become immune to his looks and even shorter to become immune to his temper, which meant that she had a leg up on any of the other candidates who had filed for the position. Not to say that Anja wasn't good at her job; in fact, Anja was brilliant and innately fashionable, therefore making her an ideal designer because fashion came to her unwillingly but effortlessly—Kanda privately speculated that Kate had been no little influence on her, whether Anja liked it or not.

Kanda found that the buds of respect for Anja had formed at Kate's funeral, when she'd been the most determined to remain composed; the buds had now bloomed into as much respect as he could afford for her, because Anja was a valuable asset to _Illusion_ and a goldmine of genius. Their personalities also were complementary—Kanda was crass and Anja was frank, leaving no room for sore feelings.

"These are garbage," he said bluntly.

"My vacation was great, thanks for asking," said Anja sarcastically. "And I know they're bloody awful—I drew them in five minutes. The first half was good though—and there was enough in the first half for my share of the spring collection. How far have you gotten?"

Kanda didn't reply. Alma sniggered.

"Anja, he's got one dress done."

Anja's eyes widened. "What the hell have you been doing the last week?"

"A lot of other shit," muttered Kanda. "I'll get it done, stop snapping. The dress just took a long time."

"It better be a fucking beautiful dress," said Anja indignantly.

"You know this stuff just doesn't _come_ to me—I can critique, Anja, I can't produce it. That's why you do eighty percent of the collection and I do twenty."

"And you earn eighty percent of the profits," said Anja darkly.

"That's because my pieces are always the popular ones—"

"Oh, stow it, Kanda. Let me see the design for the dress. Is it formal or casual?"

"Formal," said Kanda, standing up and stretching. "We can look at it—it's in the closet."

"You got it finished? Before you even designed the other ones?"

"I'm going to make some corrections to your designs," he said, ignoring her annoyance. "They don't quite fit the…model I have in mind."

"Who's going to model?"

Again, Kanda didn't answer. He walked over to a bookcase behind the sofa and pushed a button tucked under the third shelf; the bookcase slid to the side, revealing a room behind it. Kanda flicked the lights on, revealing a closet full of unreleased clothing and shoes. It was brightly lit and well-furnished so that he could sit for hours in the closet, unable to hear anything outside and therefore as close to peace as he could try to be.

In the middle of the room was a headless mannequin wearing the dress that Kanda had spent the last week painstakingly designing. It had come slowly at first, but like every good project, only the initiation was difficult—past the basic scheme, the piece had come quickly together. As he looked at it now, he had to admit that he was rather pleased with the result.

It was a formal dress, like he'd said, a deep maroon in color. It had an old, nineteenth century feel, with the waist bound by a corset-like foundation that crawled over the chest with delicate precision. The dress, however, was strapless, held together only by the corset that was framed by a string of tiny pearls. Its back differed from the front, purely lace down to the hips, where it then trailed to the floor in a voluminous wave of muslin. The front, however, was cut off half-way down the thigh and hemmed with lace. Long strings of pearls hung around the mannequin's neck, elongating the neck and curving the torso all the more. It was a marvelous piece of work, slightly more ornate than he would've normally appreciated, but simple in some strange way nonetheless.

Anja pushed past him and approached the mannequin, her dark eyes widening as she circled the dress slowly. She brought a hand up and fingered the lace, shook her head in astonishment, before resuming her inspection. Kanda let her scrutinize it in peace, knowing that Anja did not appreciate being disturbed in moments like these.

Alma did not know such things—or, if he did, he didn't care because he was always obnoxiously loud and did not let anything get in the way of expressing his opinions. He let out a low whistle.

"You've outdone yourself this time, Yuu," he said admiringly. "This is beautiful."

"It's beyond that!" said Anja, circling it again. "This is…exquisite. Everything about it—down to the design of the lace…it's perfect. You had the model in mind when you designed it, didn't you? Who is it? Leila?"

"No," said Kanda. "I want it to be Rei Matsumomo."

Anja turned to him, her gaze sharp.

"I heard you'd brought her back," she said, her voice neutral. "She wants to model again?"

"…I haven't exactly consulted her about this."

"May I ask _why_ you want her to be your model, when you haven't even asked her about her own opinion?" said Anja, still civil.

"…I'm going to model for our spring set," he said reluctantly.

There was a squeal of delight from Alma and a skeptical snort from Anja.

"You're going to _model_ again?" said Alma excitedly.

"You're_ still_ in love with her?" said Anja in derision.

"No, I'm not in _love_ with her," snarled Kanda, ignoring Alma's shining eyes of delight. "This is just…a test. Just to see if I can push my own capabilities."

"You didn't think you would confer with me first?" said Anja, a hard edge in her voice.

"What reason do you have to dislike her?" said Kanda crudely.

Anja glared at him. "She was driving the car in the accident that killed my sister."

"And you're the kind of person to hold grudges?" he challenged.

Their glaring match continued for a few more seconds, before Anja sighed and rolled her eyes.

"No, you're right, I'm not. I really don't feel much for Rei Matsumomo, albeit a bit bad for the manner that you dragged her back. I thought I'd just scare you a bit," she said, resigned, "just to show you that what you want to do is incredibly unfair to the typical person."

"I don't hire_ typical_ people," said Kanda thinly. "I _typically_ can't stand them."

"Fine, whatever. I don't care who the model is as long as the pictures are good—next time, though, ask me first."

Kanda nodded curtly.

"And you better have another five pieces done by the end of next week."

"What?"

"It takes me ages to review your pieces," said Anja defensively. "I gave you tons of time to review mine but you procrastinated—"

"I was busy."

"Dragging your teenage infatuation back from the dead—"

"_She wasn't a fucking infatuation_—"

"I mean it," said Anja coolly. "Another five pieces, or I'm taking this entire collection and proclaiming the spring catalog to be mine and mine alone. Meaning that all profits will go to _me_." She looked at the dress fondly. "Including the profits from this one—my God, it's gorgeous."

She gave him a brilliant smile and walked out of his office without another word. Alma sniggered again.

It didn't make any sense, exactly why Anja could order Kanda around and get away with it. _He_ was her boss.

But of course, it seemed that none of the Schrödlichs were very pliable, and Anja was fearless in the face of Kanda's anger, which meant the Kanda really did have to get five more pieces done, which meant that Anja had noticed the bags under his eyes and all the while did not care.

As much respect though he had for her, Kanda hated her.

* * *

"Yuu—"

"Out, Bookman."

"Okay, this is completely unfair," said Lavi. Lying comfortably on the sofa in Kanda's office, he crossed his arms against his chest and faced Kanda, amused at the permanent wrinkle between Kanda's eyebrows as he stared at sheets of paper in front of him. "How come I can't even bother you for one minute before you tell me to get out? It used to be at least five."

"Because," Kanda seethed, "I'm _working_."

"Come on," yawned Lavi, glancing at the clock. "It's past midnight—let's go get a drink."

"I have plenty in the fridge."

"Can I have—"

"No."

Lavi sighed. "Fine, I get it, you're busy. I came for a reason though—Rei has rejected all the dresses I've proposed."

"What did you give her, Alexander McQueen's most fucked up works?"

"Hey!" he said, surprised. "How'd you know?"

Kanda snorted and stood up to make his way over to the bookcase that lined the side of his office. He pressed somewhere and the case slid to the side.

"Whoa. I've never seen that before."

"Stay out," snarled Kanda, letting the case slide closed behind him and leaving Lavi alone for a few brief minutes before it opened again, and Kanda came out with a large white box.

"She can wear this—_don't open it,_" he snapped when he saw Lavi reach for the edges. "I'll cut your fingers off if you do."

"I'm going to see her in it anyway—"

"That's the point, idiot."

"But I need to know the color if I'm going to match her," said Lavi unhappily.

"Wear black."

Resigned, Lavi tucked it under his arm and stood up to leave.

"Is it one of your designs?" inquired Lavi.

"No," said Kanda easily. "It's Prada."

"What if she doesn't like it?"

"She will."

"…All right," said Lavi, taken back with Kanda's conviction. "Er, I'll relate to her your kindness—"

"Don't you dare," he said, his tone deadly. "Just say it came from you—I don't need her getting suspicious."

A sudden thought struck Lavi.

"Wait, you're not seriously going to reveal to the world that she's going to be your model at the party tomorrow, right? Because that's not what we all agreed on," he said warningly.

"…What did we agree on again?"

"That you consult her first, dumbass," said Lavi. "Then if you've reasoned it out with her, you can tell the world."

Kanda shrugged. "Whatever."

"Don't just 'whatever' me, Kanda—"

"Go away, Bookman."

"Kanda—"

"Out."

Lavi swore and headed for the exit, knowing that Kanda was going to be insufferable in these kinds of moments and it was better just to leave him in peace.

"One thing—bring Rei here for her makeup and preparations."

Lavi stopped. "Why?"

"Because I've already told the artists how I want her to look."

"Kanda, this isn't some dress-up game—she's not a doll—"

"That's all. Don't tell her anything either."

"Kanda—"

"Out."

Lavi didn't like the direction Kanda was going. Nevertheless, he didn't do anything to stop it.

* * *

"Kai and I broke up," said Mira flatly. Her face, slightly grainy from the pixilation of the webcam, showed no tears but merely a shadow of annoyance.

"I would say I'm sorry," said Rei, "but you certainly don't seem to be sorry and I can't say that I liked the guy anyway. Who dumped whom?"

"Obviously I dumped him," said Mira, looking down and filing her nails. "It turns out he applied for the internship too—without telling me, the backstabber—and he's pissed off that I got it and he didn't. What the hell?" Mira burst out suddenly. "What is _up_ with these men who are unable to deal with me being smarter than them? Is it that emasculating?"

"Mira, just a…er…kind point," winced Rei, "you don't exactly make them feel the best about their lesser intelligence…"

"I know, but I can't stand to carry on a conversation with someone for too long if they're that dumb, and all those rich kids just can't seem to stand it, and…agh," she said, upset. "It's just so frustrating."

"Maybe you're just destined to remain a single, powerful woman for the rest of your life."

Mira wrinkled her nose. "That sounds painfully lonely."

Rei chuckled and ran a hand through her hair.

"You look fantastic, by the way," said Mira admiringly. "I never knew black was your natural color—it really pales and angles your face in wonderful contortions."

"…Thanks, I guess," laughed Rei. "I still can't really get used to it when I look in the mirror…"

"And your eyes really _are_ green, wow," said Mira, ignoring her completely. "That is really cool…"

"Okay, Mira, you're making me feel awkward."

"Sorry, sorry. Did I tell you, though? Anita's boyfriend left."  
"What?"

"Yeah, he just left for London."

"What? I'm going to kill that son of a bitch—I told him not to do that to Anita!"

"Wait," said Mira, confused, "they didn't break up or anything. He just left to London for work."

"Oh," said Rei, settling down. "Wait. Cross? London? For work?"

"…You know, Rei, I think your intelligence level has taken a severe dip…"

"Sorry," exhaled Rei. "It's just been…I've been exhausted all the time, even though it's not like I really do anything…and it's lonely."

"Well, I'll be there soon," said Mira brightly.

"Which is great," smiled Rei. "Mira, did Anita say anything about Cross doing a project for anyone?"

"Not in particular," she replied. "She said it might have something to do with you though."

Rei froze. Cross was kidding, right? After all his attempts to help (which really were quite useless because Lavi and them had found her the same day), Cross wouldn't seriously ask her to model again, would he?

She couldn't imagine it.

"Would you model for him?" inquired Mira casually.

"No," sputtered Rei, "I can't even imagine why they'd want me to."

"…Didn't Kanda like you?" she said bluntly.

"Oh, Mira," said Rei, irritated, "it was all…hormonal teenage stuff. Don't ask."

Mira got the hint and steered the conversation elsewhere, mainly poking fun at their old ex-boyfriends. They bid farewell shortly after, as Mira had to conclude her last-minute studying for her final exam, leaving Rei alone in her isolated room, staring blankly out in front of her.

Hormonal teenage stuff. She had downplayed it that much.

Aggravated with herself, she shut her eyes and leaned back in her seat, curled up in the office chair that Lavi had stupidly chosen. To think that she could've reduced everything she'd felt back then to merely "hormonal teenage stuff." It hadn't been that simple—not at all.

But what about now? No matter how convicted she was that the past had been sincere, maybe it had just been _for her_. Maybe Kanda really thought it was just a bunch of teenage drama.

That didn't make sense, though. She knew she was just kidding herself. She just hadn't wanted Mira to know the extent of what had happened. After all, some things were just better left unsaid.

* * *

The following note was posted on Tyki's door when he opened it, expecting to see dinner after a lovely light lunch of still too much spinach and carrots but at least an adequate amount of parmesan-roasted chicken.

_Cinderella has to go to the ball._

He paused. He'd almost forgotten about it.

But who was Cinderella's prince?

* * *

Maybe Kanda thought Lavi was an idiot, but even an idiot could see that the dress that Rei was wearing was sure as hell not Prada. She stood in front of him after three hours of preparation, her hair wrapped up in elegant curls kept in place with nets of pearls, her makeup done flawlessly. She shifted on her maroon heels uncomfortably, her mind clearly trying to find a complaint with the dress but ultimately failing.

"You look phenomenal," was all Lavi could manage.

Rei flushed slightly, though the color did not show up behind her pink blush.

"Who designed this?" she said, fingering the lace. "It's beautiful."

"It looks like it was made for you," said Lavi, avoiding the question but having a very good idea of precisely who'd made it.

Rei smiled slightly. "It does fit me rather nicely…I tend to have to have alterations done, but this fit me effortlessly."

Oh, Kanda…obstinate until the end. Lavi decided not to say anything, though, and instead took Rei's hand and twirled her around smoothly.

"Well, I certainly feel a bit bad," he grinned. "Rarely do I have a date who outshines me."

"Don't compliment me, Bookman—it gives me the feeling that you want to sleep with me and that in itself is extremely unsettling."

"What, surely you've desired me at some point."

Rei frowned. "Not in particular. To me, you were always overshadowed by Tyki and Kanda…er…the emphasis is _to me_, Bookman, stop looking like that—"

"I can't believe it," he muttered, sliding his arm around her waist and escorting her to his car. "But I'm good-looking, aren't I? And a long time ago, you said that I was the best model and—"

"And we've kissed before," said Rei thoughtfully. "Hm, that's a bit weird. I suppose it's because you were always taken, and…I've never been attracted to gingers?"

"That," he muttered, "is discrimination at its extreme."

"Bookman, don't take it the wrong way."

"It's fine, it's fine," he said, his pride singed. "I've never been attracted to Asians."

Rei smirked demurely and reached up to his tie, trailing her fingers down his chest. Lavi, taken off guard with Rei's provocative advance, stiffened.

"Do you find me attractive now?" she breathed.

"Very," said Lavi, strained.

Rei laughed before letting him go. "I can't seduce you, it seems. I can't take it seriously."

Lavi rolled his eyes. "I'm rethinking this entire escorting you business. I'm pretty sure that by the end of the night, I'll be drunk enough to want to take you back to my apartment, especially if you're still in that pretty dress of yours."

"That's enough, Bookman," said Rei with a slight shudder. "We're not going to sleep together."

"That's what they all say," he said breezily. She glared at him. "Fine, fine, I'll drop you off at your apartment, safe and untouched, all right?"

She nodded absentmindedly; clearly her mind had wandered elsewhere, and Lavi had a good idea of where it had wandered.

"Would you sleep with Mikk?" he asked offhandedly as they climbed into his car.

"No," said Rei immediately.

Lavi smirked. "Really? Then where is your mind wandering off to now? You don't want to bed down with me, so does that mean you want to sleep with him?"

"No," she said acerbically. "No, I don't. That would complicate a lot of things."

"I thought you could be emotionally detached in sex now?"

Rei didn't answer immediately.

"I can…" she said slowly, "if it's with people I don't know. But…Tyki's a different story."

"What about Kanda?"

"…Bookman."

The temperature had dropped a few degrees at this suggestion.

"Relax," he said, grinning, "this is all hypothetically speaking."

Rei did not look happy.

"Rei," he chuckled, pulling out of _Illusion_'s parking garage, "you know that no matter how much you try to pretend, you're still that innocent little girl from four years ago, right?" He reached over and patted her shoulder. "Try your best not to get too hurt."

* * *

Dinner had been a quiet affair, as pleasant as it could've been. Truthfully speaking, she could still not be completely at ease with Lavi, especially with his inconsiderate jibes sometimes, but at least he was not being openly hostile like before.

They drove back to _Illusion_ afterward, when the sky had darkened completely and the specks of stars were finally visible as a signal for nightlife to begin. The ballroom in which the gathering was hosted was like any other, perhaps a bit simpler and, if one looked closely, sported slight Japanese traits in its flowery ornamentation or zen-themes. It was already full when Lavi and Rei arrived, and they were greeted by a horde of cameras, for which they posed politely before declining any interviews.

Lavi introduced her to a few people whose names she forgot the moment they left. Her eyes scanned the room, trying to find a glimpse of a familiar face—they found Allen and Lenalee, who were matching in light blue, but everyone else was unrecognizable. Tyki and Kanda were nowhere to be seen.

Lavi kindly pointed out the staff of _Illusion_ one by one, though Rei found it difficult to listen, jittery as she was.

"And coming in our direction, most likely because your dress has caught his attention, is Alma Karma," said Lavi in Rei's ear. "He's _Illusion_'s spokesman, the polar opposite of Kanda, as well liked for his effervescence as Kanda is hated for his…er…difficult personality."

"Or he just has a stick up his ass," muttered Rei.

"Touché. Well, Alma annoys Kanda to death—it doesn't help that he's flamboyantly attracted to Kanda and therefore tries to stick to him every minute of his existence."

"That doesn't sound like someone Kanda would keep with him."

"You know Kanda—as long as they get the job done well, Kanda will deal with being annoyed to death. Alma, good to see you," said Lavi, stretching out his hand.

Alma ignored Lavi's hand completely and simply jumped onto him for a hug.

"Lavi! Good to see you too," he said ecstatically, still holding on to him tightly, oblivious to the fact that Lavi was slowly withering under his weight. "How have you been doing? You should stop by _Illusion_ more often and try to get Yuu to stop working because he's going to keel over and die one day and—_ooh_! Who's this?"

Alma let go of Lavi at long last and turned his direction to Rei.

"You are _beautiful_!" he exclaimed, his smile so wide that it stretched from ear to ear. "You are just…perfect for that dress! Yuu must've just made it for you! Are you Rei Matsumomo?"

Rei nodded dumbly.

Alma shook her hand vigorously, perhaps taking into consideration the liberal amount of fragile ornamentation that was on her body.

"It's so nice to meet you," he said affably. "I wish Yuu would get here sooner so he could see his work on his model finally—"

"Kanda? Kanda Yuu, you mean?" said Rei, finally registering what Alma was meaning. "_He_ made this?"

"No shit?" said Lavi, choking to recover from Alma's bear hug. "He said it was Prada."

"Certainly not!" said Alma, offended with this suggestion. "This just radiates of Yuu's genius! This is most definitely an _Illusion_'s masterpiece!"

"Alma, when will you learn to keep your mouth shut?" said a voice behind them sternly.

They turned around to find its owner.

"Anja!" beamed Alma. "You look lovely."

"Thanks," she said distractedly, looking between Lavi and Rei. "Lavi Bookman, you haven't started bedding down with my dead sister's best friend, have you?"

"No," said Rei quickly. "Certainly not. I…"

She looked at Anja uncertainly. Rei hadn't expected to see her at all—she glanced sideways at Lavi, and his expression showed the same.

"I thought you were on vacation?" said Lavi.

"Kanda said I had to be back for this gig," scowled Anja. "The prick…he knows I'm just as bad with these gatherings as he is—he just wants us all to suffer together."

"You work for him?" said Rei, surprised.

"Yeah, I'm the main designer for _Illusion_," said Anja loftily. "He wouldn't be anywhere without me. Well then…"

She kissed Lavi chastely on the cheek, who grimaced slightly, before turning to Rei and doing the same.

"You look absolutely splendid," said Anja as she drew away. "It's no wonder Kanda…" She seemed to stop herself here. "Speaking of which, where _is_ he? He's never late."

"Look," said Rei, unable to help herself, "Anja, I—"

"If you're going to apologize about Kate," said Anja simply, "don't worry about it. I already told you that four years ago—you leaving isn't going to change anything. I personally thought it wasn't a big deal. Now in the meantime…where _is_ he?"

"He's probably late because of his new…friend," sniffed Alma affectively. "That Leila girl seems absolutely insufferable—"

"Oh, shove it, Alma," sighed Anja, "I think you just have a complex…"

"Bookman!"

They turned around to find Tyki approaching them. Surprisingly, he wasn't escorting anyone, though Rei would've thought otherwise, given the multiple pairs of stilettos that had been outside of his door earlier that evening. He looked devilishly handsome, as always, though he looked a bit tired. His eyes were dancing as his gaze was not on Lavi but fixated on Rei, despite his greeting for his British counterpart.

"What are we waiting for?" said Tyki, his words still directed to Lavi.

"The man of the show, I suppose," said Lavi, looking elsewhere. "Alma, what if Kanda died in his office or something? Do you think you should check?"

"Yuu, dying?" said Alma, horrified. "Never!"

"The guy's been working for three days straight—don't you think he's liable to fall over and hit his head on something?"

"He would certainly fall gracefully," said Alma dreamily.

Tyki chuckled—his eyes still never left hers, and it was unsettling. She could catch his scent—cigarettes mixed with alcohol and cologne.

"Alma, seriously, try and keep yourself a bit more contained," Anja was saying.

"Relax," said Tyki, shuffling on his feet slightly—his movement was crude and uncoordinated. "I'm sure he'll show—"

"Are you drunk already?" said Rei incredulously.

They went silent. A smirk crawled to Tyki's lips.

"Is Cinderella worried?" he said mockingly.

Lavi squeezed her shoulder while casting her a warning look.

"He's always drunk early on for these events," he said in a low undertone. "Don't worry about it."

"Worry about it?" said Rei disbelievingly. "What if he drove?"

"I didn't, darling," said Tyki. "No need for your concern."

He reached over and touched her cheek lightly. She stiffened at the old action, gentle and memorable, and stepped out of his reach.

"Never mind," she muttered, turning away. "Forget I asked."

"Bookman," said Tyki, "could I have a word with her? In private?"

"You're drunk, so no," said Lavi. "I don't know what you'd say."

"Bookman, you don't know what I'd say even if I were sober, so just let her go. I promise I'll return to you in one piece."

"I'd rather you not." But it wasn't Lavi who said so; instead, Kanda had arrived, his voice cold and calculating, a beautiful blond woman at his right. No one was looking at the woman though—it was Kanda who had kidnapped all of their attentions and refused to give them back.

They stared at him, all stunned into cold, prolonged silence.

It was Anja who recovered herself first.

"…The world has ended," she said, stupefied.

"Oh, my God," said Alma.

He was wearing a Versace suit, tailored to show off his long legs and lean profile. But that wasn't the point. Kanda in a suit was jaw-dropping, certainly, but not uncommon.

He was wearing glasses. That in itself was shocking. He looked beautiful beyond reason. But that still wasn't the point.

After years of being infamously the most gorgeous man alive, of being the most androgynous model on the stage, of being the most obstinate about his silky, long hair that girls would die for…it was all gone. The world really was ending.

Kanda Yuu had cut his hair.

* * *

_free talk:_

_sorry, bad ending, haha. i apologize. i hope you enjoyed the chapter. there were some parts i liked, other parts that i had to struggle through. _

_i'm going to give myself a break next week - my wrists are starting to act up, haha. so no diw next week, sorry :( i might update sooner if i am hit by inspiration or such, but i think it's better if i'm not stressing to meet my own deadline, haha. _

___and it's the 50th chapter! i'm so sorry this has been going on for so damn long, haha..._

_please review! :) that would make me very very happy. _

_xoxo,  
m.n_

_p.s. if anyone hasn't seen harry potter 7.2, GO WATCH IT. very rarely do i cry in movies...it was so amazing. my childhood is officially over. :( _


	50. Improvise Wordlessly

**Chapter 7: Improvise Wordlessly**

When Rei would look back on this situation later, she would edit out the gasp she'd voiced when she saw Kanda. She would also forget the intense blush that she could not prevent from creeping up her face as she studied him, his now short hair that clung to his neck, his framed, stern glasses that made him look just incredibly…intellectual was the adjective Rei would try to think, but sexy was really the obvious one, and she knew very well that she was not quite as immune to Kanda as she would've liked to be.

But those were all reactions that she would edit out, just because she didn't want to admit that Kanda was really as beautiful as he was, and despite the evident reaction he'd elicited from her, she stared at him as evenly as she could.

"I have no words to say," Rei said, dazed. "For once in your life, you look like a man."

"Your _hair_," said Alma mournfully. "Your beautiful, beautiful hair…"

"What the hell prompted this change?" said Anja, but she was clearly delighted with the transformation. "Thank God! Now people won't make fun of me for working for a woman—"

He ignored them all. It was not hard to notice that Kanda's eyes were on her as he was ignoring everyone else who was gawking at his hair, or lack thereof. He approached the group of them, Leila Fontaine at his side and glowing at her newfound fortune of having a newly transformed Yuu Kanda as her date.

"As I thought," he said simply.

"As you thought, what?" cut in Tyki, not as impressed with Kanda's haircut as the rest of them.

"The dress," replied Kanda nonchalantly. "It looks…like what I'd planned for."

"You mean absolutely beautiful?" grinned Lavi, leaning his head on Rei's shoulder. "She just looks so hot, you want to get in her pants right now, don't you?"

"Bookman," deadpanned Rei, "would you kindly act your age?"

"That might be a bit hard—I've had a few drinks when you weren't looking."

"You drove!"

"Just kidding," said Lavi hastily. "I really haven't drunk anything, promise. It was just an excuse for my…uh…comment."

"If I'd known that you'd designed this, I wouldn't have worn it," said Rei to Kanda, ignoring her escort whom she was seriously regretting coming with.

Kanda's blue eyes flickered.

"Why?"

"I don't know what you're planning," said Rei, "but my answer is no and will always be no. I've asked you before and I'll ask you again—keep me out of your catalog. I'm not the girl you're looking for."

"Kanda was really adamant that you wear that dress, you know," said Leila with a breathy laugh. "Maybe you should listen to him a bit—I mean, he even turned me down when I asked to be the mod—"

"Leila," interrupted Kanda sharply.

His date fell silent.

"Alma," said Kanda, beckoning at the stage with his head. "Go ahead."

"All right," said Alma excitedly, and he bounded away towards the podium. At his signal, the lights dimmed and the sole spotlight was on Alma, who gripped his microphone like a kid with a lollipop.

Rei turned to Lavi.

"We're leaving," she said piercingly.

"Wait," said Kanda almost in an order.

"No, Kanda," said Rei angrily, "if you're going to do what I think you're going to do—"

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for attending this _Illusion_ary event!" beamed Alma.

"Oh, God," said Anja, shaking her head. "I told him to keep the puns down…"

"As spokesman for our prestigious brand," continued Alma, oblivious to Anja's disparaging expression, "I would like to announce some important news today. If you would all turn your attention to the screen behind me…"

The screen flickered and suddenly, the picture that Cross had taken so long ago of Rei and Kanda appeared, enlarged and uncomfortably so. There was a murmur amidst the crowd, but before it could swell, Alma continued.

"As you see, behind me is Cross Marian's extremely well-known and highly regarded picture of our CEO, Yuu Kanda, and a model who has recently resurfaced into the public eye, Rei Matsumomo. I'm sure you all are wondering: where am I going with this? Well, here is the news I need to convey: nearly four years ago, Cross Marian told Yuu Kanda that his potential as a model was limited, and without the right female counterpart, he would never be able to improve. Our perfectionist of a CEO therefore withdrew from the modeling stage, determined to try his hand elsewhere in the industry. However…the time has come for a change, and we have finally come to this ground-breaking decision that…"

The audience was holding its breath. Rei suddenly felt like throwing up.

"Yuu Kanda will be returning as a model for our spring catalog," announced Alma dramatically, clearly enjoying the suspense.

There was a silence, and then the room burst into applause. Alma grinned and waved them down before going on.

"In addition, Cross Marian as well as his protégé Allen Walker have agreed to be the photographers for this catalog. We want this collection to be a revolution in the fashion industry, with, instead of what has happened in the last few years, half of the designs being handcrafted by Yuu Kanda himself."

"What?" burst out Anja. "He's only got one dress done—how the bloody hell is he going to finish?"

"Bookman," said Rei urgently, "please, can we go—"

"No, where would you be going to, Rei darling?" said Tyki smoothly but coldly, grabbing her wrist and preventing her from leaving. "Don't you want to hear the rest of what Kanda's man has to say?"

"And last of all," said Alma, his face now growing serious, "I would like to add this, of my own volition."

Kanda's eyes flickered—clearly, what Alma was about to say derived from what they had planned.

"The public is currently eying Rei Matsumomo with an imposing and degrading gaze," he said. "I do not know the full details behind what exactly happened four years ago, but I have come to the conclusion that…perhaps we, as bystanders, do not know enough to make a judgment. I am speaking on behalf of Anja Schrödlich, sister of Kate Schrödlich, whom we all know of and will remember. I ask the public not to react violently or scornfully to what I have to say next, which has been endorsed by a variety of people, including Yuu Kanda, who designed the dress that the model is wearing tonight himself."

"The female model for this catalog has been decided to be Rei Matsumomo."

The noise grew louder, and heads turned to look at her; she could hear snippets of the comments, about the dress, about her being there, and she could feel the dip in temperature surrounding her—

She let go of Lavi's arm and tugged her hand out of Tyki's grip. She was not going to remain standing there, subject to the scrutiny of those who were now probably making their own limited assumptions—

"Wait," said Kanda.

Rei did not answer; she was already on her way. Kanda grabbed her by the wrist to hold her back and she whirled around, angry enough to slap him but conscious enough of the surrounding audience to hold herself back.

"I told you," she said breathlessly, "I told you not to drag me into your company and you ignored that request—you are just the same as you were before, selfish, stubborn, never listening to others—can I never even ask one thing of you, Kanda? Are you seriously doing this to me? Does your conscience not exist _at all_?"

"This isn't just my doing," he replied evenly. "Everyone here agrees—this can be good for you, this can—"

"I don't want what's good for me!" she cried. "I came here for a purpose and that's all I'm trying to fulfill, Kanda, I don't want to be the same thing I was to you last time—molding me to be whatever you wanted—"

"I think your memory's failing you," he said clearly. His eyes flicked over to Tyki, who was only a few feet away and was listening to everything. "_He_ was the one who molded you last time."

Tyki smirked. "Whatever you say, Kanda. Is this why you asked me to come tonight? I was wondering about it, but I would never have thought you could actually consider this to be a blow to me—whatever Rei wants to do is entirely up to her. In fact, I ought to be thanking you—this just reminded me that I really shouldn't be softening so soon—Rei pulls at heartstrings quickly, doesn't she? First Bookman, now you—I didn't know you got around so fast, Rei."

"Mikk," said Lavi warningly.

"You weren't so easy of a girl four years ago."

She could not stand it. Him. All of them.

"Let me go," she said dangerously to Kanda.

"People are watching—"

"I don't give a flying fuck if people are watching," she snarled. "If you don't want to blow this out of proportions, Kanda, then you'd better tell every fucking reporter here that what you said was a mistake, that I'm sure as hell not doing anything for you, and that—"

"Rei Matsumomo!" A microphone was suddenly jammed right under her chin, and she turned to find herself face to face with an eager reporter. "Clearly the news was revolutionary—how do you feel about being _Illusion_'s new face? How have you been coping with the antagonism facing you—do you believe that this will better or worsen your situation? Are you in a relationship with Kanda? Or Lavi Bookman? Or Tyki Mikk?"

Her "What the fuck" came out as a near cry—she shook her head and tried to turn to leave, only to find way blocked by a multitude of other reporters and celebrities who were either trying to ask her questions or file their congratulations.

"How did you decide to return to the modeling industry—"

"The dress was specifically designed for you—what does that say about you and Kanda—"

"What at Lavi and Tyki—"

Rei could not quite describe what she felt all in that one moment—she just knew that the emotion that reigned supreme was an indescribable mortification, an indignation beyond words—she would've burst into tears if she'd been alone, but she wasn't, and there were too many microphones everywhere and too many eyes watching her—she could see Tyki's cold smirk and flashing eyes among them all and then Kanda's dark blue ones, always flickering, and never had she wanted to hit him so badly—

It was Lavi who stepped in, who grabbed her by the arm tightly and began to part the sea of people, dragging her behind him as they tried to get by.

"She's not answering any questions," said Lavi shortly. "She'll release an official statement later."

"What's your relationship, Lavi—"

"Are you two dating—"

He continued marching on, determination evident in his clenched jaw that he refused to release until they were finally away from it all, into the garage and then his car and then onto the roads, speeding so quickly that they'd left the paparazzi far, far behind.

"Rei," he said after a long silence.

"Don't bother," she said, her voice twisted.

"No, please," he said. "I didn't know he was going to tell you like that—I told him to ask you first and then see where we went on from there—we didn't agree on this—"

"Agree on this?" she shouted, her humiliation fueling her fury. "You thought it'd be a good idea, Bookman? Did you all think this was funny? Oh, it was hilarious, Bookman, just what Tyki looked like when he heard—did you think this would help _fix_ him? This—I—He—"

She broke off and unconsciously looked the other way, her hand covering her face as she tried to keep herself under control—things _had_ been getting better, she had been closer, they had been communicating, she'd found a way to talk to him after it'd been so difficult, and now, all that, just gone, undone, and she was back to square one or worse just because of fucking stupid Kanda Yuu—and Tyki said she was…God, she was being so immaturely angry over such a think—it wasn't a big deal—but it was—but it wasn't—she was shaking, but only realized when Lavi pulled over into a stop, right in front of an apartment complex, and brought an arm over her shoulder.

"He didn't mean it," he said quietly.

Rei said nothing.

So Lavi just hugged her a little closer, said words that she did not hear, but all she remembered was that she was glad no cameras were around, and nobody else was either, just so there could be no more misunderstandings.

* * *

Rei woke up the next morning, disoriented and curious as to where exactly she was. She sat up from the king-sized bed she was on and looked around the room. The walls were a light gray color, and everything else about the room was sleekly modern—the bed was atypical in that it actually protruded comfortably from the floor and spread across half the room. A flat-screen T.V. spanned an entire wall, while the other three walls were mildly decorated with minimalist pieces of artwork. The rest of the furniture was purely and painfully IKEA.

Obviously, Lavi had been the one to furnish her apartment too.

Rei rolled with some difficulty off the bed and stood up to examine herself in the mirror. She had not done a very good job of removing her makeup the night before, and her eyeliner was still messily in place. She tied her hair up in a bun and smoothed out the shirt that Lavi had given her the night before to sleep in before opening the door and walking to the living room.

Lavi was still lying on the couch, his shock of red hair buried under the blanket. His gentle snores told her that he was still asleep, and, not particularly anxious for any conversation, she left him alone and made her way to the kitchen.

The eggs were sizzling and she'd finally found the toaster when her mind began to wander elsewhere from her cooking. Last night's events came to her mind painfully clearly; she vaguely wished that she'd had more to drink so they'd at least be a bit hazier, and then she could convince herself that some of the things hadn't happened. She didn't know what she was going to do about Tyki now. Truthfully, she had half-mind to pack her bags and go back to New York, but that was just petty, and if she had that little will, then she might as well shrivel up and die.

"Well, well, well," said Lavi, grinning easily as he approached. "Never once have I brought a girl home and then had to sleep on the couch. Look at what I do for you, Rei."

"You've probably never had a girl cook for you either," she said lightly. "Wait a while—the eggs are almost done."

"I never thought you'd actually stay until morning—I thought you'd steal my car and run away," said Lavi jokingly.

Rei bared him a brief smile.

"Hey," he said, his tone a little more serious, "I was doing some thinking last night…and I think you should tell Mikk about…your dad."

Rei pretended not to hear.

"Rei," said Lavi, irritated.

"Look, Bookman," she sighed, "we've already talked about this. I don't want it to turn into some…pity party. I know I may have overreacted about a few things, but the fact remains that I don't want Tyki to think I'm using that as an excuse because in the end, that wasn't our issue."

"Yeah, it was," he insisted. "You can't pretend like it wasn't. Wasn't that your main reason for leaving? You would've stayed otherwise then, right? Then what's the big deal? You're giving him answers that he wants, that I honestly think he needs—and you'd feel a lot better after telling him too."

Rei still did not reply. She could tell Lavi was growing annoyed.

"Are you doing this to punish yourself?" he said.

"…What?" she said, scandalized.

"Like it's some sort of…atonement?" he continued. "You know, to bear the brunt of Mikk's hatred—is that what you're doing?"

"I…no, certainly not."

"Then what's the harm, Rei?" he said gently. "I can't help but get the feeling that you're just sitting there, waiting for Mikk to stay angry with you. The guy's not brilliant, Rei. He won't piece things together like that. You need to be the one to tell him these things—straight to the point. You owe that to him."

And when Lavi said it like that, Rei never had anything to say in return.

* * *

If things had gone the way Tyki wanted them to, he would've returned from the gathering the night before, drunk as hell but with a woman equally drunk, and he would've passed the night as he always did.

But no, things hadn't gone the way Tyki had wanted them to, because he returned home angry, for some reason, annoyed, for some reason, and unsure.

He didn't know what he wanted from Rei, didn't know if he really believed her farce. He _did_ know that he'd found her exotically stimulating the night before, and that it was getting harder for him to rein in his desires because those twisted fantasies had cropped up again and the dress _would_ look good a bit ripped—

He needed to stop.

It was morning, and Tyki honestly had not gotten much sleep. Judging from the lights next door, Rei had not returned the night before—she probably had slept over at someone's house. Bookman's, maybe. Or Kanda's. Though after her reaction last night, she was most likely not on speaking terms with Kanda.

The things that Tyki did and said often escaped his reasoning—he had been drunk the night before, but he was honestly drunk so often that it wasn't really an excuse. Whether or not he thought of Rei as "easy" was not even a question—she was not easy. She had never been.

He kept unconsciously looking out his window; perhaps Rei would come back. The thought that he was pathetic mildly passed by.

And then, a knock at the door. Tyki nearly leapt up from his couch to answer—he could not prevent his heartbeat from accelerating as he opened, expecting to see Rei and an apology was very nearly on the tip of his tongue when—

"Hello there, Tyki," smiled Lulubell.

* * *

Rei took her time to prepare herself to go speak with Tyki. The words came slowly in her head, and then she vaguely wondered why she even bothered preparing herself at all—when it came to the two of them, it was always improvisation, and no matter how many times they stumbled…maybe she'd get her point across this time. Maybe he'd listen.

She stopped in front of his door, dressed much more warmly than she'd been the previous night. Lavi had lent her some of his spare clothing that women sometimes left behind—of course, considering that they were all Burberry and whatnot. She did like the trench coat though. Unfortunately, no woman left a house without her shoes, and so Rei was forced to wear the maroon pumps that she'd come in. Logic dictated that she go and change, but she was quite certain that she could not withstand another minute of musing, and so she knocked politely on his door.

It opened, and Rei burst into speech.

"Hi, Tyki, could I talk to you for a second—"

She stopped dead when she saw who she was talking to.

"…It's good to see you again, Rei," said Eiji.

A frosty silence settled; Rei stared at him like he was the bane of her existence—and he really was—but she could not bring herself to say anything before Lulubell appeared behind her husband, smiling coyly.

"It's been a while, Rei," she said smoothly. "Did you need to say you needed to talk to Tyki? Come in, talk to us for a while too—I keep forgetting that you're technically my stepdaughter and I need to play up to these maternal roles…"

Rei didn't answer.

"Rei," said Eiji gently, reaching over and touching her shoulder.

She shrugged him off immediately and took a step back. She still could not find the right words to say.

"What are you all doing?" said Tyki's voice lazily from inside. "You're letting in all the cold—I have some wine—_oh_."

His eyes landed on her, betraying the slightest bit of surprise and wariness.

"She says she needed to speak with you," said Lulu to him.

"Really?" he said skeptically.

"Never mind," she managed to say. "I'll…talk to you later."

"Rei—" Eiji found her wrist again.

"Don't," she said dangerously. "Don't even bother."

"He came all the way over here to see you," said Tyki. "Aren't you even going to stay a while?"

Rei ignored him and went over to her apartment, closing the door firmly behind her. She realized that she was still holding her breath. And she couldn't bring herself to let it out.

* * *

"What a change," said Lulu casually. "She looks remarkably thin."

"You should've seen her when she first popped up on my doorstep," said Tyki, uncorking a bottle of wine and pouring each of them a liberal amount of wine. "I couldn't recognize her at all. She grew a few inches and had her hair dyed and her eyes brown—it was incredible."

"Well, Eiji?" said Lulu. "Are you going to try talking to her?"

"Why is she angry with you?" said Tyki, curious. "I thought you two had left Kate's funeral on good terms."

She saw Lulu and Eiji exchange glances.

"She…didn't tell you why she left?"

"No," he said lightly.

Lulu frowned and turned to Eiji. "We'd…better go talk to her, Eiji. Sorry about this, Tyki—I'll contact you later about dinner—"

He stepped in the way of their exit, shaking his head as he felt the familiar vice-like grip ensnare his heart the way it always did when Lulu was in front of him.

"What's the hurry, Lulu? We've certainly had virtually no contact for the last four years, but I suppose I should've thought about this a little more clearly. Judging from your expressions, I'd daresay that _you_, out of all people, happen to know why she left, which makes me…insanely curious." He smiled. "Care to share some stories?"

* * *

Kanda had had a late night. The press had taken a ridiculous amount of time to calm down, and it was well past three in the morning before Leila had finally dragged him into the bedroom and monopolized his attention.

He truthfully did not seek out French women specifically. They were just attractive, simplistically and elegantly so, but they—at least, the ones he could stand—were not remarkably clingy. Every relationship he'd been in before had been an open one—they attended events together just because they had to, but it wasn't necessary for them to go home together as well. In them he found everything he needed: the public niceties, the sexual attention, but also, the solidarity.

His phone rang the next morning—or was it afternoon? Kanda stirred in his sleep, trying to block out the noise, but then Leila made a sigh and he finally reached over to pick it up and berate whoever the hell was calling him.

It was Rei.

He sat upright immediately; Leila mumbled something in her sleep, but Kanda ignored her.

"Hello?" he said.

"…Kanda?"

"Yeah…hang on," he said, climbing out of the bed and going over to the restroom. "What is it?"

"Can you talk?"

He thought about Leila and the way that the restroom echoed. Did he care if Leila overheard?

"Does it have to be private?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"I'll pick you up in ten."

* * *

Kanda shouldn't have known where Rei lived, because that meant that he knew where Mikk lived, and that was information he could've done without, but it was for situations like these that he had bothered to remember the route. He hadn't even showered—exactly why he was so prompt to pick her up was beyond him, but perhaps he was not as coldhearted as he had made himself out to be, and he couldn't deny the vestiges of guilt he was feeling after she had left in such a state the night before.

It was hard to tell exactly why he was so adamant to make her his model. Maybe it was a recreation of four years ago. A ploy of the past. He was curious, but it was not simply curiosity—except what it was specifically, he couldn't put his finger on.

She was not hard to spot, sitting on the staircase with her maroon heels easily in sight. He stopped in front of her and rolled down the window.

"That took you eleven minutes," she said without a smile.

It reminded him of what he used to say to her—was that a coincidence, or was Rei remembering too?

"Get in," he said dourly.

Rei scoffed and climbed into the passenger's seat. Kanda rolled up the tinted windows and pulled out onto the roads. Only after he ensured that he was not being followed did he speak.

"What do you want?" he said.

"Aren't you going to take me somewhere private to talk?" she said, crossing her legs and leaning back in her seat comfortably.

"Che. I don't believe in all those private cafés and restaurants that Bookman and Mikk are all about—there's always someone listening. The car is as private as it gets."

Rei smiled demurely. "Always the rational one, you. Paranoid, too."

"Get to the point."

"I'll be your model."

He nearly swerved into another lane, causing a car to honk at him. Kanda resisted the urge to flick him off just because he knew that no one could see past the tinted windows anyway.

"Wait, what?"

"Isn't that what you wanted?" she said. "I've agreed—I just thought I'd let you know."

"You sure as hell weren't just 'agreeing' last night," he retorted. "Why'd you change your mind?"

"Is there always a reason for everything, Kanda?"

"There is for me."

Rei didn't reply immediately, instead letting their thoughts perforate instead, their speculations act in their place. He could feel the tension between them mount; not a threatening tension, but a discomfort that was more like what had occurred between them a long, long time ago, back when they were younger and naïve and stupider than now.

"You're not still in love with me, are you?" she said suddenly.

The question threw him off track—he maintained his impeccable driving but spared a second to glare at her.

"I thought I've made that clear."

"Just wondering, you know," she said offhandedly.

He decided to be insufferable. Truthfully, this oftentimes wasn't a decision, but he was going purposely out of his way to be irritating.

"Can you say the same?"

"…What?" she said, turning to him with an ironic smile. "That I'm not in love with you as well?"

Kanda nodded stiffly.

"Kanda, I made that clear to you years ago," she said, laughing as she turned away. It was a strange laugh, though, one that he was not fully convinced off, and in many ways, it sounded more hollow than happy, and suddenly being irritating was not as enjoyable as he'd anticipated.

"I don't think anything was clear four years ago."

He wasn't sure if Rei heard him at all. She was staring aimlessly out the window, her mind evidently having retreated somewhere far away from him, intangible.

He resisted the urge to touch her shoulder, to jolt her back to reality. The fact that she had avoided his questions entirely escaped him.

* * *

"Okay, Kanda, this is ridiculous—I told you I'd get the dress later because I was busy—you didn't have to be such a—" Lavi stopped his sentence upon seeing Rei, who was currently sitting in _Illusion_'s salon, getting her makeup done. "Rei? What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be talking to Mikk."

"What would she be talking to Mikk about?" said Kanda coolly, stepping forward and taking the box from Lavi.

"What's she doing here?"

"We're starting the first portion of the shoot," he answered calmly. "Since I don't have any of the other pieces done, I thought we might as well shoot in this dress."

"Wait—"

"That's it, you can leave," said Kanda.

"Hold it," said Lavi, aggravated. "Rei, what's going on?"

"I just decided to do the shoot," she replied innocuously.

"What happened to M—"

"He had guests I didn't appreciate."

Lavi swore audibly.

"Rei, if it was some woman—I thought that wouldn't deter you—"

"Bookman, don't you have a Givenchy shoot?" interrupted Kanda.

Lavi checked his watch.

"Fuck, I'm late," he muttered. "I'll find you later, Rei—don't do anything stupid."

Rei smiled. It was did not look quite like her. "Too late."

* * *

"I am unbelievably proud of myself," said Tyki as Lavi waltzed into the salon after a hurried apology to the photographer. "I am earlier than Lavi Bookman."

"Congratulations," said Lavi dryly, "do you want a gold star, too?"

Tyki chuckled wryly. "Not in a good mood today, are we? It's fine, I can empathize."

"Do tell," said Lavi sarcastically.

"Oh, it's not necessarily about the news with Rei and Kanda. That's not a big deal, quite honestly. No, it was more a surprise to find Lulu and her husband pop up on my doorstep today—people have a habit of doing that when I least expect it."

It took a few seconds for what Tyki had just said to register in Lavi's head.

"…Rei's dad?" he said, stunned.

"Mm," said Tyki, closing his eyes as the stylist ran her hands through his hair.

It made more sense now, why Rei had abruptly decided to model for Kanda. Fixing Tyki had initially started off as the only goal, but that had been without her dad in the picture. Of course that had been swayed by her dad's reappearance—she could no longer tell Tyki what she'd planned on doing—and now she'd gotten it in her head to go the other way again, to turn back into Mimi and see if her dad gave a damn.

"You know, Bookman," said Tyki slowly, "I can't help but get the feeling that Lulu and Eiji know something about why Rei left four years ago. I tried to ask them about it…but obviously they dodged it and left me without any answers. "

"Really now," deadpanned Lavi.

Tyki opened one eye to look at him. "…Do you know something about it as well?"

"What is taking so long in here?" barked the photographer, an Italian man who seemed very keen to get started. "We do not have all day! Hurry up!"

"I'll tell you later," muttered Lavi.

He had a half-mind to just leave and find Eiji Matsumomo before anyone else could kill him first.

* * *

"What were you saying?" said Tyki.

"No talking, Mr. Mikk!" said the photographer anxiously. "It will ruin the atmosphere! Bookman, please move a little to the left—perfect—place your arm against his chest—excellent!"

"Why do I feel like I'm in the feminine position?" said Lavi under his breath.

"I think that just proves that my masculinity is overwhelming," said Tyki. "Now, about Rei and her dad—"

"Mr. Mikk!"

"Look, I'll give you the pictures you want," said Tyki irritably, "but I'm going to talk or else I'll just be stiff—it'll be quick."

"Move your hand up Bookman's back," said the photographer shortly. "No, _under_ the shirt, not over—"

"What the fuck?" said Lavi, scandalized.

"Fan service," said Tyki, completely unperturbed. "Come on, we've done this before, Bookman—I don't know what you're getting squeamish about. I probably know your body better than most other women—"

"Mikk, if I were in a better mood, I'd play right along with you," snapped Lavi, "but I'm sort of pissed off and—"

"Mr. Bookman!"

"God!" burst out Lavi. "Okay, I can't do this right now, I'm rescheduling. I'm not in the mood to play games with Mikk and there's someone else I have to find. Tell Givenchy that they can deduct the pay from me or whatever the hell is going to happen—I've got enough money to last me a lifetime. Bye."

He unraveled himself from Tyki and headed out the door, grimacing as he passed by a mirror at his stiffly gelled hair and overall too-made-up appearance.

"Wait, but the clothing—"

"I'll get it to them later," he said brusquely. "You, Mikk. You're coming too."

"But there's no reason for me to—"

"Do you want to know why Rei left four years ago or not?" Lavi said dangerously.

Tyki's eyes narrowed. Without another word, he filed after him out of the room.

* * *

It took fifteen minutes for Lavi to drive from Givenchy to Illusion. In that time span, he gave Tyki a very curt and abridged version of what Rei had told him that day in the café—much to his relief, Tyki didn't say an entire word during the duration of the car ride, therefore giving Lavi enough time to recover his rationality as they pulled into the garage.

They sat there in silence for a few minutes, Tyki quietly puffing on his cigarette.

"How long have you known?" he finally asked.

"Why do you think I started being nice to her all of a sudden?" scoffed Lavi.

Tyki didn't reply. Lavi could tell that he was adding all the pieces together, one by one, reaction by reaction.

"I'm going in," said Lavi. "I need to talk to her."

"I'll stay here."

Lavi stared at him in disbelief.

"_Why_?"

"I don't have anything to say to her," said Tyki calmly.

"Are you—if you're all upset because she didn't trust you or some shit—"

"What am I even supposed to say to her?" he said sharply. "I can't very well say sorry—I can't very well say anything at all. I honestly have no idea how to talk to her anymore—you know the last civilized conversation we had? It was through _Post-It notes._"

"Well, that's a start."

"And food."

"Bloody hell, Mikk, after all this talk about your masculinity, you are the saddest excuse of a man I've ever met. I talk to her first—you talk to her after. End of story."

"I honestly have no idea what to say—"

"Improvise."

* * *

"You can't go in now," said Allen tersely.

"But we need to talk to Rei—"

"Why are you two coming in together anyway?" said Lenalee curiously.

"Why are you and Mr. Walker always together?" said Tyki pleasantly.

Lenalee arched her eyebrows. "Because we're dating."

Tyki smirked suggestively. "Well, we are too—"

"We had a Givenchy shoot," said Lavi, annoyed. "I cut it short because I need to talk to Rei—it's important."

"Look," sighed Allen, "she's…kinda on a roll right now and Shishou doesn't want anything to mess her up."

"On a roll?" said Tyki. "For what?"

"She's doing really well, modeling," clarified Lenalee, "and Cross doesn't want any interference."

Tyki's interest was piqued.

"Can we watch?" he said.

"No, I want to talk to her—"

"Yeah, here," said Allen, ignoring Lavi and directing them towards a window. "Just stay quiet—I don't think the room's totally soundproof."

They hovered around the glass pane, and Tyki, the tallest out of the lot, peered easily over into the depths of the room.

The set up was a Victorian-styled room, a style that matched the dress that Rei had looked so exquisite in the previous night. Her hair, curled and pinned up before, was now only loosely wrapped in a bun held in place with pins—her overall style was much bolder, her face flushed with blush and her lips a deep maroon. She was leaning against a chair, her hand draped over it like a lover, her face distinctly impassive. They could hear Cross's directions seep through the walls.

"Good…more distant, I want your eyes in my direction, as if you're focusing on me, but your mind is clearly elsewhere—just keep thinking distance, farther…intangible, untouchable."

"Where's Kanda in all this?" said Lavi, his urgent need to talk to her clearly pushed to the side by the transformation in front of him.

"On the sidelines," answered Allen. "He should be joining in with her soon though."

"Good, good," said Cross. "Kanda, go ahead."

"It's so…strange," remarked Lenalee as Kanda appeared on the set, his suit not nearly as old-fashioned as the setting. "His hair. All. Gone."

"Weird," agreed Allen fervently. "And I don't know what Shishou's thinking…his suit doesn't complement the rest of this setting—even Rei's dress…"

"Okay, move the chair aside, we don't need it anymore," directed Cross. "I want you two against the wall—is the wallpaper in place? Does it look real? Okay, Kanda, push her against it."

"…What?" said Kanda's grainy voice, the condescension clear in his face.

"You heard me."

Kanda visibly sighed and then turned to Rei, who still had her strange smirk in place. It was weird. It was unsettling. This was not the Rei he knew. She was too poised, too composed, too…too smooth.

Kanda's hand slid up Rei's waist slowly, and Tyki vaguely felt indignantly possessive. What the hell was he doing? She was his girl—

But she wasn't. Slightly disturbed with his train of thought, he reached naturally for another cigarette, lighting it without taking his eyes off the scene in front of him. Kanda was more forward than Tyki would've imagined—he could not help get the feeling that Kanda was monopolizing her, his hands on her body, his eyes on her mouth.

Cross did not say anything for the next few minutes, allowing the camera shutter to speak for him. And then…

"Improvise."

Suddenly, Kanda's expression changed—his hand slid all the way up Rei's back and into her hair, where it pulled out the pins and let down the layers of black. He had control over her now, his hand buried into her hair and his body closer to hers than ever, and with a burning sense of concentration he brought her face to his and kissed her.

It was not a shy sort of kissing either—maybe it was because Kanda thought they were alone except for Cross that he seemed so bold, or maybe he'd had experience with his previous girlfriends, but Tyki felt something much along the lines of fury when he saw Kanda taking control and Rei not bothering to push him off—

"Okay, that's good," said Cross. "Rei, you're done—Kanda, we need to do your solo shots."

Allen let out a low whistle.

"I think Shishou was right," he said. "Kanda really is different on set when it's Rei as his counterpart."

"You think that kiss was for real?" asked Lavi. His glance towards Tyki did not go unnoticed.

Allen snorted. "No."

"Really?"

"Were you watching at all? The way he moved and positioned them—everything about it put their clothing in prominence. He was probably thinking about the catalog the entire time."

* * *

If Kanda had heard what Allen had just said, he would've agreed. He had been thinking about the catalog.

Truthfully speaking, that was a lie. Showing the clothes first was second nature to him—and therefore had happened innately—while kissing Rei was not. He'd made that decision. Improvised. Dared.

He didn't know precisely what had prompted it, much like he was unsure of prompted his decision to model with her. Maybe it was a test of sorts, to see if he could feel anything, or if Rei would respond, which she hadn't. In the end, he was close to where he'd begun, except with the knowledge that Rei was a much better kisser than he'd remembered her to be.

Or maybe he was just lying to himself, and trying to forget the rising feelings of lust that had only been suppressed by the knowledge that Cross was watching.

"So?" said Cross, walking into the makeup room after it had been vacated. Rei had left to shower in an adjacent changing room. "What did you think?"

Kanda shrugged.

"Enjoy your kiss?" said Cross lightly.

"It wasn't a big deal."

"Leila won't be happy."

"She won't care," said Kanda confidently.

"Oh, right, it's one of those relationships," said Cross. "Well, in my opinion…" He tossed some sheets onto the table in front of them, "I think this was a good idea."

Kanda picked them up and sifted through them. There were only a few, since Cross had to develop them quickly, but it was enough to determine that Kanda had made the right assumptions, and that for some reason, the dress melted into Rei's profile as easily as her skin.

"She looks beautiful," remarked Cross.

Kanda tossed them onto the table.

"You don't want to look at the rest?"

"I know the results."

"Well, I don't," said Rei's voice. Her arm appeared from nowhere and she took the pictures, looking through them nonchalantly while she dried her hair with a towel. "Kanda, don't take this the wrong way, but you look much more manly with short hair."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he scowled.

"Only that it wasn't hard to mistake you for a woman before…" She tossed the pictures back on the table, with the one of them just breaking away from their kiss on the top of the pile. It was surprisingly a very calming picture—though sensual, it had elements of control in it; Kanda's fingers were lingering at her chin, Rei's eyes were open but blurred—it left much to the imagination.

"Are you going to be displaying these?" she asked.

"I was thinking about giving a small preview," said Kanda, "after last night's reaction." He glanced at her. "Or are you against it?"

"Not at all," she said. "Go ahead."

"…Really?" said Cross, skeptical. "What prompted this change?"

Rei smiled her odd, odd smile again. "My dad's in town."

* * *

It was likely that Rei had lost sight of something the moment she saw Eiji in Tyki's apartment.

All of a sudden, it didn't seem like fixing Tyki was important anymore.

Because when she saw Eiji, he was healthy, he'd gained some weight, the weight of a well-built man gone to seed; she saw that his face did not have as many wrinkles as she'd imagined, that he looked content with Lulubell at his side; and when she saw all this, something in her very well snapped…and she wanted to make the old Matsumomo Rei disappear, to show Eiji that she was not his daughter…

If she thought about it logically, it didn't matter. Eiji clearly didn't care—and she should've been focusing on Tyki.

But she couldn't.

More than anything else, she _wanted_ to lose herself. To forget what it meant to be bodyguard Matsumomo Rei, and fully embrace what she'd become in Mimi Silavand.

* * *

Tyki had left his apartment in London for a penthouse outside the city. He had not retained contact with anyone, nor had he told anyone where he had gone; what he needed was pure, unadulterated solidarity.

He went without any alcohol or pot—he needed clarity of thought to sort himself out.

He hadn't stayed after she and Kanda finished their shoot—he had left, not because he was angry, but because he had suddenly realized that there was something wrong with his mentality.

When he'd seen Rei and Kanda kiss, he was very well aware of what he was feeling: a possessiveness, and quite possible a jealousy. He was not so irrational as to barge into the room and demand them to stop—he wasn't even jealous enough to wait afterward and confront Rei about it.

Because along with the possessiveness came a realization of their situation: that no one was in love with anyone else. Just because Rei had left in love with him did not mean that she had come back the same. Just because she had said that she wanted to fix him—what did that mean? Where did that come from: her guilt, or her affection?

And so Tyki left before he asked for answers from her because he needed them from himself first; what did he expect? And in the end, was _he_ still the same as before?

What exactly did he want from Rei?

Because he had answers now—why Rei had left. And no matter how resentful he was that she had not told him about it, that she had just left without another word…it almost didn't seem important anymore. That Eiji had been involved in Kate's death had never really crossed his mind—he'd been too blinded with his newly found passionate antagonism for Rei, and now that he knew…he was almost angry that he knew the truth—it deprived him of any fuel for his fire, his hatred for her, and in his lack of hatred, he found nothing else. He found no logical way to approach her.

It had been a few days since he'd left London. Bookman knew that he was here, and he'd probably alerted everyone else who cared remotely to know his whereabouts. He couldn't help but think that maybe Rei would arrive. Not the girl that he'd seen at Illusion, but old Rei, Rei who wore too many layers, Rei who cooked for him…Rei who wrote Post-Its. And Rei from a long time ago.

It was late afternoon on a particularly snowy day when was a noise at his door. Tyki looked up from his book to see if he'd just imagined it. The doorbell rang momentarily after, and he went to peer through the peephole to see if it was some rabid fan or reporter. Or, more hopefully, if it was Rei.

Surprisingly, it wasn't someone he recognized. She did not look like a fan though—she seemed more lost than anything. But, if anything, she was certainly beautiful; in some way, perhaps it was just because she was Asian, she reminded him of Rei, only more gorgeous.

Curious, and perhaps unwisely, Tyki opened the door, ushering in a draft of icy wind and a dollop of snowflakes.

"May I help you?" he said.

"Yeah, I, whoa." The woman did a double-take when she saw him.

The reaction was normal—he was famous, after all.

"Yes?"

"Oh, nothing," she said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear indifferently. She spoke with perfect American English. "I was just surprised to find someone so young and good-looking out here in the middle of nowhere—anyway, I'm lost, and I have no hell of an idea what road I'm supposed to take to get to my apartment—would you happen to have a GPS? Or a map?"

It occurred to Tyki that this woman had absolutely no idea who he was—it astonished him, but more than anything, it was relieving.

"Certainly," he said graciously, stepping aside to invite her in. "Come in?"

"Oh, it's fine, I need to be back on the roads anyway, so if I could just get the GPS really quickly—"

"It's going to keep snowing throughout the afternoon, you know," he said. "The least I could do is offer you some shelter until it lets up and the roads are a bit safer."

She looked taken back by his hospitality.

"…I suppose I have some time then," she said mildly, stepping in delicately. "Thanks."

"No problem. Could I ask your name?"

She gave a broad smile and tossed her head back, an action full of confidence and certainty in her own importance.

"I'm Mira. Mira Chang."

* * *

_free talk_:

_haha, now i know that people are very responsive when i cut off characters' hair...i might as well shave lavi bald or something. just kidding. :) but thank you so much for your wonderful reception last chapter! _

_quite honestly, this chapter was a huge, huge, huge struggle. i can't explain why. i'm sorry but i honestly really hate this chapter and i'm sorry for it. : ( _

_i will hopefully get back in gear next chapter...but it might be a bit hard. gah. i think i killed kanda this chapter. sorry. _

_xoxo,  
m.n _


	51. Whose Worries

**Chapter 8: Whose Worries **

"They're late."

Lulubell glanced at her watch, her foot tapping impatiently against the leg of the chair she was sitting on.

"It's only been five minutes, Lulu," said Eiji. "Give them some time."

"I hate being kept—"

The door to the private salon opened, and three figure appeared at the entrance. Lulu's eyes narrowed as they approached and stopped a few feet away from her and Eiji; the door closed, and a frosty silence ensued.

"Good to see you again, Eiji Matsumomo," said Malcolm C. Leverrier, extending a hand towards Eiji. Eiji took it stiffly. Leverrier then turned to her and made a low bow. "And here we have Princess Portugal. It's a pleasure to see you, Lulubell."

"Unfortunately," she said, standing up and joining Eiji, "the same can't be said on my part. Let's get this over, shall we?"

"Certainly," said Leverrier smoothly. "Tokusa and Madarao here have alerted me that your daughter has resurfaced."

"She poses no threat," said Lulu. "I've verified it myself—she has lost any guarding ability that she used to have. I frankly do not see your purpose for asking to meet all the way in London for such an obvious matter."

"Ah, yes," said Leverrier, "but she's rather close to Kanda again, isn't she?"

They didn't answer immediately.

"What are you suggesting?" said Eiji coolly.

Leverrier smiled the way a hawk would if it saw a rat scurrying in sight. "Just a little recap of the past."

* * *

"So you're here to study?" said the stranger as he poured Mira a cup of coffee.

"Mm, just for a little while. What about you? You're not a native here, clearly."

He bared a wolfish smirk. "I've lived in London for the last few years, but no, I'm not from here, if that's what you mean."

"Then where?"

"Take a guess," he said lightly, drinking his own coffee black.

"Spain? Portugal?"

"Good guesses," he answered, though he made no further clarifications.

Mira leaned back in her seat as she studied him. The more she looked at him, the more gorgeous he was. She marveled at his beautiful eyes, tinted gold, that and his perfectly cut jaw line, tan skin and the quite obvious godly body profile.

"You won't give me a name?" she said finally.

Again, a wolfish smirk. "Why don't you make one up for me?"

"Jose," she said without thinking.

He wrinkled his nose. "Terrible. Absolutely terrible. I'd prefer something more…refined."

"Charles. William. Geoff."

He shook his head. "Too generic."

"What do you _want_ me to call you?" she said, exasperated.

He shrugged. "It's all up to you, honestly. I don't want to reveal my name, but you insist on calling me something…this is, in short, your call."

"Fine," scowled Mira. "Antonio."

"Still a tad generic…but it'll do," he sighed.  
"So…Antonio," said Mira with obvious traces of sarcasm, "what's your occupation that you're so secretive about your identity?"

"Guess."

"Celebrity."

He chuckled, and Mira realized that she enjoyed the sound of his laughter. "You're a clever one. Though…not really, I suppose that it was rather obvious, with my glorious face and all."

In other circumstances, such a display of arrogance would've been an immediate turn-off for her, but Mira wasn't annoyed—rather, she was intrigued. The way that he asserted his own beauty was much like the way she did: confident in her own self-importance, but not pompous.

She liked him.

"You're quite beautiful yourself, Miss Mira," he said honestly, taking her by surprise.

"…Thanks," she said sincerely.

Again, he chuckled. "You seem to be used to hearing that."

"I can't say that it isn't getting old," she grinned. "I could say the same for you though."

"The compliment is appreciated," he said lazily. She noticed his gold eyes study her in a way that unconsciously made her shiver. "Truthfully though, I've been surrounded by beautiful women for a good bit of my life. Looks don't interest me much—honestly, I wouldn't have invited you in had it not been for your peculiar resemblance to a girl I know."

"Ah," said Mira slowly, "and would this be one of those situations where I can be seen as a replacement for said girl?"

"Perhaps not," he said. "See, the truth is, I'm hiding out here in the lonely countryside because said girl and I…we have a strange connection. History. Take your pick. I'm not quite sure what I think of her right now, but the reality remains that I will be seeing said girl in the future many, many times, and unfortunately, I will only be seeing you this once."

Mira smiled coolly. "You're sure about that?"

"…I might have to knock on wood," he admitted. "I suppose it is all very rude of me to invite you in and tell you these things, and that I have no intention of engaging in any further of a relationship than this mild chatter."

"Do I seem like that easy of a girl to you?" she said, her voice containing a hard edge. "I think you're mistaken—I can assure you that I have no intention of 'furthering' such a relationship either—I merely accepted your invitation of asylum from the raging storm outside."

"Ah, I see…then forgive me for my presumptions. I tend to be more used to women fawning over me—it looks like I jumped to conclusions."

"That you did," said Mira, sipping her coffee primly.

He smiled faintly, but then his gaze turned away from her and looked out the window. Snow was still falling, the sky overcast and grim. Mira had no desire to leave the warmth of the house and this stranger's company with whom she felt an odd affinity for—despite his somewhat irritating conversation, she found him fascinating. Beautiful.

But of course, after their conversation, she would never admit that aloud.

"So said girl," said Mira, making way for more idle chatter, "what's she like?"

"A little like you," he said, his eyes snapping back to her face, "perhaps a little less gorgeous, but looks were never her strong suit."

"Is it rude of me to say that you seem like you'd need a beautiful woman by your side in order to even out the spectrum?" she said dryly.

He let out a barking laugh. "You say that because you are precisely confident in your own appearance; no, the girl I'm talking about has always been insecure about her looks, but…" He shrugged, "who was I to care? I…" He seemed to be grasping at words, "I was always a bit drawn to her."

He didn't seem willing to continue. It was just about to get incredibly awkward when he started speaking again.

"I say she's like you…she radiated this concentrated kind of confidence…I found it fascinating. Where did it stem from? Yours is a little more obvious: you're clearly more intelligent than the norm, and you acknowledge your own beauty—yet…I could not quite pinpoint what made her so confident. And it's been a few years now, and I see her and she's faded a bit…she's lost…it makes me wonder. That's all."

The truth was that Mira did not fully understand what he was saying, but she did understand that she felt an unreasonable but very mild antagonism towards the woman he was talking about. Her head controlled her emotions, though, and she knew that she was being stupid—this, after all, was a man that she was never going to see again.

"I suppose I should be heading out," she said curtly, setting her half-empty mug down and standing up. "Do you have that GPS you said you'd give me?"

"Ah…yes," he said, jolting out of his mindless thoughts and standing up as well. "Are you sure you want to leave? The weather's still rather bad."

"I don't want to stay in the company of a man who is just reminiscing about his ex-girlfriend," she said frankly. "Sorry, I have things to do."

"I apologize for being such bad company."

"No worries," said Mira placidly as he reached over and passed her a GPS. "Should I just mail this back to this address?"

"Don't worry about it," he said. "You can keep it for future use—take it as my apology for being bloody boring."

"No, not at all," she said, opening the front door and stepping out into the snow. She turned back to face him. "Well, then…Antonio."

The name garnered a quirky smile from him.

"Thanks for having me."

"Mm, it was a pleasure to meet you, Mira Chang."

"…Before I leave, a little word about said girl."

He arched his eyebrows. "Yes?"

"I hold a great deal of confidence in who I am simply because I present myself in such a way. It is required of me because I know confidence helps me get farther in life—but the truth remains that when I wake up in the morning, I'm just as insecure as the next woman. You're expecting too much out of said girl. She's lost. Uncertain. Don't you think that you should be helping her find her way instead of sitting on your ass in the middle of the countryside?"

He stared at her, speechless. Mira sighed.

"Looks like I said too much," she said thinly. "Well, Antonio, I'll see you never. Goodbye."

She was all the way to her car and about to open the door when she heard him call across the frozen lawn.

"You should really watch your mouth, you know. You're never going to get laid!"

Mira flicked him off and climbed into her seat, but as she drove away, she was grinning.

* * *

Kanda had been working for the last two days nonstop—inspiration was slow and he didn't have the patience, but looming deadlines forced him to remain cooped up in his office and thinking. Scrawls and cast-out designs littered his desk and the area around it. Cross had advised him to design clothes that were bleakly modern or traditional because he wanted the theme to be reincarnation, but Kanda was having a difficult time grasping the concept. Anja did not help him—she remained obstinate that the best works he generated came out of his own untainted ideas. He thought she was bullshitting him, because she'd taken the opportunity to begin her Christmas vacation a week early.

The night was wearing on when Kanda closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat to rest for a few minutes. He was so close to sleep that he didn't hear someone enter the office and only realized that there was an intruder when he heard the clinking sound of a cup being set on the table. He blearily opened his eyes, expecting Alma and guarding himself against whatever atrocity he would be wearing. To his surprise, it was not Alma who stood in front of him but Rei, her smile wan but her plain clothing startlingly refreshing nonetheless.

"Late night, Kanda?" she said, gesturing to the mug. "I brought you some coffee."

"Knock, would you? What are you doing here?" he said wearily, reaching over for the mug and sniffing at it. He made a face. "Che, I hate coffee."

"What don't you hate?" she said, drawing up a chair and sitting across from him. "Tea loses its effect pretty fast—I learned that in college."

"What are you doing here?" Kanda repeated, grimacing as he took a sip. "Who let you in?"

"Alma let me in when he was going out. I was just in the neighborhood," she said airily. "I thought I'd keep you company for a little while."

She reached over and picked up a few of his outlines. A few silent minutes passed as she shuffled through them, the rustling of the paper perforating their astonishingly comfortable atmosphere.

"These are great, Kanda," she said.

"No," he said stubbornly. "They're garbage. Something's not right. I hate doing this."

"Then why'd you end up as a designer anyway?" she said. "And taking up fifty percent of the project—isn't that just giving yourself more work?"

"I only did it because you were modeling," he said shortly, snatching the papers from her.

She looked at him curiously. "Why?"

He realized that he was treading in muddy territory, areas where he had no answers.

"Nothing," he answered tersely. "Go away."

"I don't want to," said Rei, curling up in her seat. "I won't bother you, you can keep working."

"Just go home," said Kanda, annoyed. "It's already…three in the morning…just go."

"It's lonely at home," she said, embarrassed, her voice muffled as she spoke into her knees.

"And I'm good company?"

"You're better company than nothing."

"What," he said acidly, "you're lonely because Mikk's not there?"

Rei didn't reply.

Kanda scoffed. "Still no news of him? He's probably passed out in one of his villas along the Italian coastline—"

"Kanda," she said sharply.

"Look, he does this. Disappears for a weekend and no one hears from him—honestly, I don't care where he is. But you're freaking out too much and it annoys me."

"Why does no one find his behavior alarming?" said Rei angrily. "The guy's a drug addict and alcoholic, chain smoker and God knows what else—no one finds his disappearance worrisome?"

"You forget who you're talking to," said Kanda. "I couldn't care less if Mikk keeled over and died."

"Kanda!"

"I'm just speaking frankly," he said. "Mikk isn't someone I'd waste my energy on. I don't know why you do."

"It's the same as if you disappeared, or if Bookman—"

"Is it?" he said lightly.

Rei glared at him. "Yes."

Kanda smirked. "Fine. Now go away."

"No," she muttered, "I think I'll just sit here and annoy you."

"Go. Away."

She shook her head and hugged her knees all the more tightly, her green eyes glaring at his with surprising ferocity. She was not normally this attached to his presence.

It suddenly struck Kanda, why she wasn't leaving.

"You don't have a ride home," he stated simply.

It was actually amusing to see her cheeks color as she tried to downplay her situation.

"How'd you get here in the first place?" he asked.

"Fucking Lavi Bookman," she said, her anger genuine. "I tell the idiot that I want to find Tyki and he takes me all the way here saying that Tyki's here and—" She made a noise that crossed between a snarl and a groan. "_Stupid!_"

"That you are," said Kanda wryly. "Why the hell would Mikk be here?"

"I don't know!" she said, clearly upset. "I'm just all out of options—I don't know where he is, or where he might be, I've blown up his voicemail and his text messages and—"

It occurred to Kanda that she looked very close to tears of frustration, and he instantly recoiled in his seat, preparing himself for the worst.

Luckily, and now that he thought about it, more normal to her personality, Rei didn't cry. She instead reined back in her diatribe and settled for a troubled sigh.

"It's like that time we were in London all over again…" she murmured. "I blow up his phone, he doesn't answer, I have no hell of an idea where he is and why he's gone…just…worse…because he's probably the one angry this time…"

She had completely ignored the yellow caution tape and had trudged her bloody path all over the muddy territory. Kanda gritted his teeth unconsciously and leaned back in his seat, looking away from her, having lost all hopes of concentration on his work.

"Go home and go to sleep," he said frostily. "I'm not the person you want to be having this conversation with."

She looked at him, and when she spoke again, it was with an odd nonchalance that he could not help but dislike.

"I thought you weren't in love anymore?"

"Shut up and leave."

"I don't have a ride…"

Kanda glowered at her, but Rei merely gave a hesitant and embarrassed little smile, her eyes genuinely winking for the first time he'd seen in a while. He was reminded of something from a long time ago. Something lost.

He stood up, shaking his head.

"Hurry your ass up," he said crudely. "I don't have all day to be your fucking chauffeur."

"Ah," she grinned, "but you have all night, right?"

And like that, the storm passed.

* * *

"I swear, Bookman, you're quite possibly the worst friend anyone could ever have."

"I take mortal offense to that, Rei, Lord knows how many people would kill to be my friend…"

"Where is he?"

"He's just taking a break—"

"You don't even know where he is!"

"He's got like fifteen houses across Europe, Rei, he could be anywhere! How the hell am I supposed to know where he is at all times—am I supposed to keep a GPS tracker on him?"

"It's been two weeks!" said Rei, frustrated. "He could be dead for all you know, but you don't care! He hasn't contacted anyone at all—don't you think that's worrisome?"

"It's Mikk," came Lavi's voice breezily from her phone. "He never contacts people."

Rei uttered a low curse and hung up, furious with Lavi's nonchalance and Kanda's clear ill will and everyone else, at that. More than anything, though, she was furious at herself—for losing sight of Tyki, for forgetting what she had returned to London to do in the face of Eiji. She tossed her phone with a little too much force on her kitchen counter and collapsed onto the sofa, her hand gripping her hair tightly as she stared into her living room, thinking.

She had remained in her apartment for the majority of the last few weeks; speculations were running high ever since Kanda had released their premiere photos for _Illusion_, and she had no intention of speaking to the press about it. Everything was up to their own subjective interpretation—it was not like anything she said would make a difference. Rei personally had been both pleased and wary of the photos; from an impartial perspective, she liked them—even loved them, perhaps. She was perfectly willing to concede that whatever bizarre chemistry between her and Kanda still existed—and it clearly showed—but she didn't think much more than that. No, after Lavi had told her that Tyki had simply disappeared, she didn't give Kanda much more thought because there was no time for them to see each other, and she was more preoccupied with Tyki's safety.

At least, that's what she wanted to believe.

Kanda did contact her regularly, be it through brief texts or even briefer phone calls. Whether he told her to take care of herself out of genuine emotion or out of anxiety over a marketable product was up for interpretation, though she knew innately that Kanda did not kiss merchandise quite like he had kissed her.

Her Mimi phase had lasted only for a little while, until the realization that Tyki was nowhere to be found hit her. And once Rei returned to her senses, she remembered that kiss with a burning humiliation; she could not quite believe that she had kissed him back…and admittedly she'd thought that he was undoubtedly magnetic. But that was all.

Rei looked over at the clock that now read seven in the evening, and she let out a breath. Her refrigerator was effectively empty and she could not stave off the isolation any longer. She tossed on a bulky and completely unfashionable winter coat and, after making sure that the hood covered her head and the scarf blocked her face, she left her apartment.

She didn't get very far. The light in Tyki's apartment was on, and she felt her heart stop as she immediately ran up to it and knocked fervently. There was no answer, and so she knocked again, even more urgently, thinking that Tyki would not open the door because he was passed out or starved and stoned and stupid—

The door opened, though, and out came Tyki with an extremely exasperated expression and a towel around his waist.

"What?" he said, annoyed.

"…Oh," was all Rei could manage, processing what had just happened and retreating a few steps. "I…uh…sorry about that."

He surveyed her with bouts of irritation and amusement before speaking.

"You look absolutely ridiculous. I can't even recognize you under all that…clothing, if that's what you want to call it."

"I was going grocery shopping," she muttered, feeling slightly embarrassed that she had been overreacting when Tyki looked perfectly healthy and had merely been taking a shower. "I just saw that your light was on…"

"Oh, really?" he said. "You're going shopping? Perfect—all the food in my fridge is spoiled and for some reason none of my takeout services are picking up—"

"That's probably because they're closed for Christmas."

Tyki blinked, somewhat bemused.

"Christmas?" he repeated, as if he'd never heard of the holiday. "When's that?"

Rei stared at him. "…Tomorrow."

"Fuck…" he said wearily. "How many parties did I miss?"

"A lot, judging from how many Bookman has gone to."

"And how many have you been to?" said Tyki, not maliciously but genuinely curious.

"…One," she muttered. "The _Illusion_ one."

"But aren't you Kanda's partner now?"

"No…he's got some…Leila goes with him to all his, if he goes at all. But what's the point of all this—you—"

"Is poor Rei no longer Cinderella?" he interrupted, smirking.

"Is indestructible Tyki not _cold_?" she said blandly, eying that he was still shirtless and the weather was blasting ice.

"I am, actually. So I'm going to jump into the shower and by the time I'm done, you should be back with a meal for me, right?"

"…What?" she deadpanned.

"Food. I'm out. Make me some."

"What the hell—go to your parties," she retorted. "There's one tonight and a huge ass one on Christmas at Givenchy that Bookman has been freaking out about because the photographer now hates him—"

"I'm not in a party-mood, honestly," said Tyki. "Can we have Japanese food tonight?"

"Cook for yourself," she snapped, her mood getting worse and worse with Tyki's apparent obliviousness. It didn't help that she was feeling stupider and stupider knowing that Lavi and Kanda had been perfectly correct, that Tyki was absolutely fine, and that she had worried herself silly over him.

He got the gist, though, and his face darkened slightly as he looked down at her intently.

"Something wrong?" he said lightly.

She was suddenly hitting him with every bit of force she had, and even though his chest was like steel and she was probably hurting herself more than she was hurting him, she continued to pound him with as much energy she could muster.

"YOU DISAPPEAR FOR TWO WEEKS, NO CONTACT, AND YOU COME BACK EXPECTING ME TO MAKE FOOD FOR YOU?"

"Ow, fuck, what is wrong with you—"

"Make your own fucking food!"

"Fine, I will, Rei, stop—_why the hell are you aiming there_?"

"Oh, I could castrate you, Tyki Mikk—"

He grabbed her arms and pulled her into the apartment, kicking the door shut with one leg while trying to pin her against it so she couldn't damage him any further.

"Damn, woman," he said, finally succeeding in immobilizing all her limbs. "Bodyguard or not, your killing intent is crazy…"

"I'd be careful of your manhood if I were you," she hissed, struggling with renewed vigor. "Right now, the only thing that's separating me and your eternal emasculation is that towel—"

"Someone tell me how I ever was deluded enough to date you," he said under his breath, applying more pressure to her limbs. "A woman sees me nearly naked, doesn't want to bang me, and actually wants to castrate me instead…look, Rei, were you really that worried? Honestly?"

"Well, yes!" she sputtered. "Of course I was—your history, your habits—I thought you'd passed out and died in some woebegone villa of yours—and no one else gave a damn!"

"Because I do this often, Rei."

"Then give someone a call! Or at least a text! Tell someone that you're alive and well—it doesn't even have to be me, I just need to hear that you're okay! Sometimes I wonder if anyone actually cares for you at all and it frightens me, thinking about what would happen if you had somehow just…just _died_ or—"

She could tell that he found her desperation entertaining, and it only infuriated her. Did he not understand? He was completely self-destructive and everyone knew it—he had disappeared for two weeks and had not found it necessary to contact anyone—Kate was already gone, but she had gone involuntarily, and it angered Rei to no end to see Tyki willingly step in that direction and not find it necessary to care for himself—

"Forget it," she snapped, finally pulling out of his hold. "Go and drown yourself in your shower—see if I care, you prick—"

"Won't you cry if I do?"

She slammed the door behind her with a loud "Asshole," too furious to see that Tyki looked bizarrely pleased with some reaction of hers that he must have found more than simply humorous.

* * *

She shouldn't have shouted. She shouldn't have hit him.

Grocery shopping had given her enough time to cool off and reevaluate her actions, and she realized that she was still unbelievably immature, and the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to crawl into a hole and hide.

It did not help that someone had recognized her at the grocery, which meant that she'd had to run all the way back home, causing her to break half a dozen eggs.

She let out an exhausted breath and curled up on the sofa after making dinner, a blanket wrapped around her and the T.V. playing some Christmas-themed sitcom.

A reusable bag hung on the doorknob next door.

_Sorry._

* * *

Tyki knocked on Rei's door gently, intending to give her back her Tupperware and tell her that the basil-seasoned pork had been slightly singed just to see her resulting facial expressions. There was unfortunately no answer, though he could see the T.V.'s light reflecting through the window.

He knocked again, but no one answered. He tried the doorknob, just for fun, and was surprised to find that it was actually unlocked. Stepping in quietly and setting the Tupperware on a nearby counter, he closed the door behind him and looked around. Rei was curled up at the sofa to his right, still dressed in that ridiculous overcoat that was probably stuffed to bursting capacity of some sort of downy feathers. The layers, again, garnered some odd reaction in him that he couldn't help; he climbed over her, quietly and without much movement. She stirred in her sleep, mumbling incoherently and turning towards him; she wasn't wearing any makeup, and if he looked closely, he could see the old scars from the accident four years ago. She suddenly seemed extremely vulnerable, and Tyki felt a wave of indignation; did she think she was safe, leaving her door open like that? And the windows weren't drawn—anyone could see her…

His mind began to wander elsewhere with his eyes. His gaze lingered over her lips, and he remembered that in tomorrow, it would be exactly four years since he'd stolen her first kiss, back when she was still cute and had traces of baby fat still on her—oh, what baby fat was he imagining—she had been entirely muscle, maybe it had been on her face…she'd actually managed to kick him in the crotch then too…he smiled ruefully. Violent, violent little girl.

Tyki was staring at her sleeping like a creep, and he realized that he probably wasn't a good position to be caught in should she wake up, and so he climbed back off the sofa. Stupid woman. What the hell had she been so worried about anyway? It wasn't like he couldn't take care of himself—he was a grown, twenty-five year old man, six foot two at that—and what was she? Thin like she would snap like a twig if someone tried to hit her…sleeping with her door unlocked…he made a "tsk"-ing sound. Who was the one who needed to be worried anyway?

Tyki gave a sigh and ran a hand through his still damp hair. He had told Bookman not to tell Rei that he knew the truth—he wanted to talk to her about it himself, catch her off guard a bit…or maybe he was just waiting for Rei to tell him herself…or worse, he just didn't want to talk about it all. Because honestly, he didn't give a damn if Eiji went to jail—good riddance—and still, the truth was not the essential link to him and Rei. No, it went deeper than that, back to that foundation of trust and longing and…he found himself feeling empty, nostalgic. Disturbed, he leaned down and picked her up, shuffling her and her bulky coat in his arms, and made way to her bedroom. It contained nothing except for furniture that had clearly been picked out by Bookman.

He laid her down on the bed and felt the familiar urges in him that always accompanied a bedroom setting—climbing over the bed, waking her up gently and coaxing her to respond to his kisses and more—but he also just felt the desire to fall asleep next to her, his arm holding her body closely to his, her breath light and lilting against his collarbones…

No. It was still too soon. It'd only been a few weeks…was he weakening so much already? After four years of telling himself that there was no one he hated as much as Rei, was he already wanting her back?

Tyki straightened up and left the bedroom, letting the door shut quietly behind him. He then found the pink Sticky-Pad, a pen, and her house keys.

He sealed the note onto the back of the door.

_Your keys are at my place. Don't leave your door unlocked—do you want someone to walk in and kidnap you?_

With that, he locked her door and left.

* * *

Rei opened her eyes as the door shut. She did not know what to think.

Only that her heart was still beating furiously fast.

* * *

"Can I have my keys back?"

"Good morning to you too, baby."

"I told you've before—I hate that term."

"I know. That's why I used it."

"My keys."

He placed them in her outstretched hand, his golden eyes gleaming. She nearly snarled at him.

"I think we're better off communicating with Post-Its."

"Funny. I think so too."

* * *

She hung breakfast on the door.

_Are you doing anything tonight?_

* * *

Tupperware, cleanly washed and dried.

_It's Christmas. I'm getting shit-faced._

* * *

A frowning face.

_Please don't. You need to learn self-control._

* * *

_I didn't have alcohol for the last week._ A face blowing a raspberry. _I might go through alcohol-withdrawal if I don't get shit-faced tonight._

* * *

_You're going to end up killing yourself at this rate._

* * *

The doorbell rang, and Rei answered it, thinking that it was Tyki and already vocalizing her lecture.

"Look, please don't get shit-faced tonight—"

"Actually, Rei," said a very impassive Kanda, "I'm going to get shit-faced all I want."

"Oh," she said, confused. "It's you. What are you doing here?"

He held up a blue Sticky note.

"You sleep with your door unlocked?" he said lightly.

Rei snatched it out of his hand and glanced at it. _I'm not the one leaving my door unlocked and waiting for someone to kill me when I sleep._ She tossed it aside.

"No, it's nothing," she said. "What are you doing here?"

"You're not even going to invite me in?"

She frowned. "Depends what it's for."

"For one, it's manners."

"You don't have them anyway."

"Matsumomo, it's fucking cold outside. Your house is heated, and I don't like to stay outside when my ears are freezing off."

"Is that because you don't have your long hair to shield them from the wind anymore?" said Rei honestly.

"No," said Kanda with a straight face, "it's because I'm one of Santa's fucking elves and I lost my hat."

She stared at him. His expression didn't change. She could not help but shudder, not from the cold, but from apprehension, because the last time she'd heard Kanda joke, he'd pulled an all-nighter and they'd nearly been killed right after. The dark circles under his eyes testified to his fatigue, but the joke had taken her so off guard that she wasn't entirely sure how to respond.

"Wear earmuffs," said Tyki's voice from the right.

They turned to his apartment, where his head was peering out from the doorway.

"I was wondering why you weren't replying," said Tyki. "Now I see why—King Sourpuss is here."

"Mikk," greeted Kanda tersely.

"Kanda," Tyki returned with a mocking grin. "Need earmuffs? I'm sure I have a pair of fluffy blue ones somewhere that'll complement your eyes wonderfully."

"Why do you—never mind," said Rei hastily, when Tyki opened his mouth to reply. "Fine, Kanda, come in."

"Wait, how come you never invite me in?" said Tyki, leaving his apartment and coming over to hers.

"Because you always come in when I'm not looking—Tyki, would you—" She let out an aggravated groan as Tyki brushed by her and entered the apartment. "Forget it, come in, Kanda. We can just pretend he doesn't exist."

Tyki called from further inside. "But then you might cry—"

"Shut up. Here." She stood aside and let Kanda enter. "What's going on?"

"Have plans for tonight?" said Kanda conversationally.

"Uh…it's Christmas?" she suggested.

"That's a fact, you idiot, not a plan," he deadpanned.

"I meant that I just wanted to stay home and relax," she retorted.

"As if you haven't been doing that for the last two weeks," Kanda said. "I need you at _Illusion_'s gathering tonight."

"Why?" she said, bewildered.

"Because I need all the people involved in the catalog to be there today—they're inviting people over to interview."

"You know that's the last thing I want to do."

"And you think I'm jumping up for joy to be talking to people?" he responded disparagingly.

"Scare them away or something," she said, crossing her arms. "I don't see the problem—you're the boss."

Kanda exhaled and ran a hand through his hair, short though it was. Upon close inspection, Rei saw that he looked utterly exhausted and felt a pang of guilt—she had not helped him much with his work, and she knew that Kanda was one to stay in the office for a week straight if he needed to.

"Here's the synopsis," he said, "I was supposed to get fifty percent of the catalog done because that's what I wanted to do initially. Anja wasn't happy with that because I always take ages to get the designs done, and she already had her eighty percent portion finished and now she had to bump it to next spring. So we signed a contract that if I didn't get the designs finished on time, then she'd earn all the profits from this catalog."

"Well, that was stupid," said Rei innocently.

"Yeah, I got that," he snapped. "Well, I'm not going to get the designs finished before this year is up, which means that Anja's going to kill me and take all the money, but she said that she would extend that deadline and see if we could release the spring collection later next year on the condition that we—meaning you and I—go and answer some questions to the public because they're obviously nosy idiots who don't understand a thing and have to have everything spelled out for them—I hate explaining my designs—"

"Oh, please," said Tyki, emerging from the kitchen with a tortilla wrap in hand.

Rei let out an indignant sputter. "That was my lunch, you asshole!"

Tyki looked offended. "You didn't make me one?"

"No, I was going to make sure you weren't going to get shit-faced tonight—"

"Anyway," said Tyki, drowning out Rei, "the press doesn't give a damn about your designs, Kanda. Obviously they want to hear about you and Rei."

"Hear what?" said Kanda tonelessly.

Tyki arched an eyebrow. "That you guys are fucking, of course."

Rei unconsciously went crimson; she glared at Tyki for his crassness, but he merely replied with an innocuous smile.

Kanda, on the other hand, did not give much of a reaction at all.

"Great," he said flatly, "I'll go right up to them and tell them that—that way, I won't even have to go to the party at all, and Anja will give me back my money—"

"No!" said Rei, scandalized.

"Are you stupid?" said Kanda in his most condescending manner possible. "Do you really think that I'd go up to the paparazzi and be like, 'By the way, I'm fucking my model?'"

"Please don't put it that way," she winced. "Fine, whatever, I'll go to your stupid little gig…"

"I think I will too," said Tyki. "That'd be interesting. You guys will probably have great alcohol too."

"No, we have warm beer," deadpanned Kanda.

"Stop," shuddered Rei. "Stop, no…jokes. Go sleep, all right? Go home and take a long nap before the party—you'll feel better."

"Quite honestly," said Tyki, studying Kanda closely, "I highly doubt you could even make it home—how long has it been since you've slept?"

"I slept," said Kanda shortly, "for half an hour in my office before I came here."

"No," said Rei, "he means a full-night's worth."

"Five days…" He shrugged. "What time is it?"

"It's eleven thirty," she answered after a quick consultation of her watch.

"That gives us…about ten hours," he said, talking to himself. "So makeup at…five…"

She was going to say that she did not need another three hours to prepare for a gathering she wasn't going to stay more than an hour at, but Kanda abruptly faltered a bit, and she immediately moved to catch him.

"Are you okay?" she said, alarmed. "Wait, hang on—Kanda?"

His full weight was on her and she stumbled backward to support him. Tyki came up behind her and shifted Kanda onto his shoulder.

"I'll take him over to my apartment—"

"Are you crazy? That's entirely unnecessary—"

"I don't want him in your room."

"That's a guest room right there!" she said, exasperated. "Just take him there!"

Tyki sighed and half-carried Kanda to the guest room, where he lied his mortal enemy down on the mattress. Rei looked at him worriedly.

"Should we call an ambulance?" she suggested halfheartedly.

"Go ahead." Tyki seemed perfectly willing to do whatever with Kanda, as long as he went somewhere that wasn't under her roof.

"I don't think he'd like that though. It'd get blown out of proportion."

Tyki verbalized what Rei had suspected. "I just want him to get the hell out."

"He's collapsed from overwork, Tyki—let him sleep."

"He can sleep elsewhere," said Tyki pointedly.

"You're being immature. It's Christmas—it's nice, and it's practical. Give him a break, will you?"

He looked at her strangely for a second before nodding curtly.

"Fine. I'll leave first, then. I'll see you tonight."

He made his way for the door, and was about to exit when he paused.

"By the way, if I don't say that I think you're beautiful, just pretend like I said it, all right? I'll probably mean to, but I'll be too wasted to say anything coherent at all."

* * *

"Kanda."

He stirred. Some idiot was bothering him—he wanted to sleep, and he wanted to be left alone while he did.

The same idiot shook him lightly, and it was enough for him to snap his eyes open out of pure annoyance. He stared at the ceiling for a split second before sitting up immediately. This wasn't his room. This wasn't the room within the office, either.

Kanda turned to his right, and there sat a bewildered Rei, her hand still on his shoulder.

"What happened?" he said coarsely, making no movement to shrug her off.

"You fainted."

"I don't _faint_," he said brusquely. "Only weak people do that."

Rei smiled. "Fine, you collapsed. Better? You can't keep working like that, you know. You'll die young."

"I thought the only person you cared about _dying_ was Mikk," Kanda muttered.

Her smile turned upside down. "You really are King Sourpuss. Be glad—I woke you up at four, in the event that you had something to do before you wanted me to go get dolled up. I even made you sushi—but remember how four years ago, you spent Christmas over at my house and I dumped your food away? I've got half-mind to do that now…"

He scoffed and reached for the maki. "So sensitive. It's four?"

She nodded. "Did you have anything to do?"

"No, I finished what I needed to finish," he said, finding the maki actually edible and therefore inhaling the rest. "We have to get over to _Illusion_ now—I have to make some touch-ups on your dress."

"Can't you rest for a little more?" she said, concerned. "What if you keel over again—"

"Forget it, I'm fine," he scowled. "Or did you want me to sleep so you could go spend some…fucking time with Mikk?"

Rei's face darkened significantly. "What the fuck."

Kanda honestly had no idea why he was so rather disturbed with the comfortable atmosphere he'd seen between her and Mikk. Maybe it was because he thought that he'd been the only one…but Rei did not flirt with him—of course she didn't—he would die of utter humiliation. No, their comfort was much less verbal, a lot more sniping and brushes and occasional eye contact. He could not for the life of him understand Rei's relationship with Mikk, which, in his opinion, seemed so shallow and insincere.

But who was he to judge? That same insincerity riled him—and over and over again did he have to remind himself: he was not in love with her. That had been for a time long, long ago.

"Forget I said anything," he said. "Let's just go."

* * *

Truthfully, the night started off well enough. Kanda had been minimally conversational on the way to _Illusion_ and had left her to be outfitted alone: again, though, it was the things that he did and not said that made his points. Her dress was beautiful yet again, and though it disturbed Rei that he seemed to know all her measurements down to the tee, she did not complain at the jade-colored attire. It was much more simple than the maroon one: it had lace on the back, again, but the entire dress trailed to the floor and was hemmed with embroidery. It was an interesting concept and one that she did not mind; if anything else, it was comfortable, and she always appreciated that the dress covered up her back, which still had visibly noticeable scars she didn't want revealed.

Her hair was left down and wavy tonight, and her makeup was also simplistic. It seemed as if Kanda were going against everything he'd planned in the first _Illusion_ gathering, and Rei couldn't decide which one she liked more.

Kanda didn't say anything when he saw her finished and simply alerted her that the reporters were all already gathered. Interestingly enough, he did not prompt her what to say in response to their questions, therefore leaving Rei to make her own judgments. She ascertained that she was _not_ sleeping with Kanda ("That's really quite bizarre, honestly"), said that she'd disappeared in order to find sanity and to further her education ("I said four years ago that education isn't something to be taken lightly, and I still stand by that today"), and that she was looking forward to the collaboration with Kanda.

She said nothing else, smiled for the cameras, and disappeared into the crowd gathered in the ballroom.

"Rei!" called a voice. She turned to find Allen waving her in his direction. "Over here!"

He and Lenalee were both beaming as she approached. Rei gave them both a quick hug before addressing them.

"Hey, it's been a little while."

"The paparazzi not giving you too hard a time, right?" said Lenalee anxiously.

"No, it's not like they asked anything I wasn't expecting," said Rei honestly. "I think Kanda just dragged me here so that the press would lay off on my apparent muteness…"

"No, your incompetence," corrected Kanda from behind.

They turned to face him. Rei was surprised that there was no Leila at his side.

"No date?" said Allen, vocalizing Rei's thoughts.

"She's busy, I'm busy, and she probably has someone else to spend Christmas with," said Kanda nonchalantly.

"Boo-hoo?" grinned Lenalee teasingly.

"Che. As if. I hate Christmas anyway." He looked at Rei. "Did they ask any weird questions?"

"No," she said. "I answered three and left before they could get around to asking about Tyki. Speaking of which…where _is_ he?"

"Wasted, I presume," said Allen.

"Did you expect otherwise?" said Kanda derisively.

"No, but…he's not…" Rei scanned the room. "It's already almost ten—I haven't seen him at all."

"Give it a break," said Kanda. "Now he goes disappearing for two hours and you flip a shit."

"Fine," sighed Rei. "Maybe I'm overreacting—I don't know, something about him just makes me worry…"

"It's fine," said Lenalee consolingly. "He's always been a little…daring, so…just go look for him?"

"Yeah, I think I will," said Rei.

"Bookman's over there," said Kanda, cocking his head to the right. "You can ask him if he's seen your suicidal friend."

Rei rolled her eyes and made her way over to Lavi, who was naturally surrounded by women.

"Rei!" he said, clearly already a bit drunk. "You look beautiful—did Kanda design your dress?"

"Yeah, he did," she said tersely.

Lavi grinned. "You're not still mad at me, right? I told you—Mikk was fine! You were worrying over nothing."

"Yeah, that was my bad. In the meantime, have you seen him? I wanted to…er…have a word with him."

"Actually, here," said Lavi, tossing her a jacket. "We were about to leave our private room and he told me to hold on to his jacket while he went to the loo—of course, then I got distracted with these lovely ladies—"

"Of course," muttered Rei, shifting the jacket in her hands. "And where is this—"

Something rattled in one of the pockets, and she stopped her shuffling. The sound was frighteningly familiar, and as her heartbeat accelerated, she reached down into it and, hand trembling slightly, brought out a orange pill canister. The prescription read Wellbutrin—an anti-depressant—and thought the prescription was marked to be refilled in the middle of next month, it was nearly empty.

"Bookman," she said in a strained sort of voice, "was Tyki already drunk when you saw him?"

"Yeah," he said, not really paying attention to her. "I drank a bit with him before we came."

Rei left the room without another word, ignoring Lavi's calling inquiries and instead heading down the hallway full of empty rooms. She passed by each one, banging the doors open and trying to find one that was inhabited—one after another, and she could not help but feel something in her chest clench and grow cold—maybe Tyki had only kept the pills with him out of habit—he wouldn't have actually taken them with alcohol, he had a little more sense than that—

She opened a door at the end of the hallway and scanned it—it was empty, and she was right about to turn around when she heard a noise from inside. Rei ran in, her breaths coming short—

"Tyki?" she said, her voice cracking slightly.

And then she saw him—he was on the floor, he looked unconscious and his limbs were twitching, drinks were spilled everywhere and he was entirely unresponsive, and it was her worst nightmare come true, and she went blindly numb, and Tyki had taken that final step in the wrong direction, and she was now too late.

* * *

_free talk_:

_it was bound to happen. now tyki's going to die. dun. dun. dun._

_jk. i'm not going to kill anyone off. or will i? teehee. i like to keep you guys on your toes. _

_thank you for continuous support! anyone know why dgm 207 isn't out yet? :(  
please review!_

_xoxo,  
__m.n _


	52. Burnt Bridges

**Chapter 9: Burnt Bridges**

* * *

_"i don't want to be your friend,  
i just want to be your lover,  
no matter how it ends,  
no matter how it starts."_

_- **radiohead**. "house of cards."_

* * *

Mira Chang had the unfortunate luck of her very first shift in the hospital land on Christmas. Trust her to be such an overachiever and then have it bite her in the ass…the internship only started past New Year's Day, but any more time with the family would've strained their relationship, and Mira was perfectly fine to be working early and get a head start ahead of her fellow interns.

This didn't quite prepare her for the overwhelming pressure of the unit she was working on though. She had naively gone in and, after introducing herself to the doctor she would be shadowing, commented,

"It shouldn't be too busy tonight, right? It's Christmas after all—people are probably staying in with their families…"

Dr. Raiser gave her a pitying look, one that elucidated the stupidity of her statement. "Dear, when's the last time you and your friends calmly stayed home with your families on Christmas?"

Apparently, "never" was the best answer because shortly after, the emergency room was flooded with cases: "My child swallowed a marble from his new Mancala set!" "My sister's having an asthma attack!" "My husband was showing off to his kids and exploded a firecracker in his face!"

Mira was soon submerged in the business—the adrenaline was pumping as fast as it could, and yet she still found herself struggling to keep up with the calm-faced doctors surrounding her. It was around an hour before midnight—and thankfully the end of her shift—when the traffic began to slow down and patients were cleared to go to their rooms on higher floors. Mira let out a sigh of relief and leaned heavily down against a counter. Dr. Raiser came over and handed her a soft drink, which she took with gratitude.

"A little overwhelmed?" she guessed.

"Slightly," gasped Mira, downing the drink.

"You'll get used to it," said Dr. Raiser comfortingly. "I studied in the States myself and was in school for over twelve years—you'll get used to it by the end of all that studying."

Mira was about to reply when a shriek cut across the lobby of the emergency department, but it was not the typical scream of someone in pain or dying; rather, it was one of pure excitement, a stupid excitement, like a fan girl screaming her head off.

"IT'S TYKI MIKK! BLOODY HELL, IT'S HIM!"

Dr. Raiser looked at Mira.

"I assume that's someone I ought to know?" she said, setting down her coffee cup and beckoning for Mira to follow her.

"I didn't know who he was up until last month either," said Mira dryly, pushing her way through the growing crowd. "Apparently, he's some big shot model…but if he's not dying too much, I suppose I have a few questions to ask him…"

Her voice trailed away as she found the crowd harder and harder to push through. Dr. Raiser raised her voice as she attempted to get to the rolling bed.

"Doctor, coming through! Please clear out!"

Mira could not help but feel slightly curious—this was the man who had dated Rei, and she wanted to see what he looked like…

She finally managed to get through by following Dr. Raiser's authoritative profile and peered over the doctor's shoulder, her gaze landing on the profusely-sweating and seizing body that was currently being wheeled as quickly as the crowd would allow to privacy.

Mira's eyes widened as she saw his face.

"Antonio?"

* * *

The press was uncontrollable. Each and every reporter or photographer seemed to be at the hospital's doorstep, demanding updates and answers to their questions: "How is Tyki?" "What happened?" "Who's with him?" "What are you all doing?"

For the first time in her life, Mira understood the full extent to which a celebrity's life was publicized, and she understood it with absolute derision. Here was a man who was close to dying—or had been, before the doctors had gotten to him—and the media was feasting on his demise like a Christmas banquet. Disgusting pricks, every single one of them.

She was not allowed to join Dr. Raiser in attending to Tyki Mikk. The unit was cleared out and policemen replaced the public, protecting the integrity of both the doctors and the small group of celebrities who were allowed to remain in the lobby. Mira watched them anxiously from an adjacent door, where none of them could see her. She spotted Allen Walker, with him a very pretty Chinese girl who seemed to be his girlfriend. Beside them was a shock of red hair, evidently Lavi Bookman, whom Mira unconsciously frowned at. Then Yuu Kanda, looking surprisingly bored and relaxed, and then behind him…

Mira had to look a little closer. Was that…Rei? She didn't look anything alike what Mira remembered her to look like. Sure, this was her first time seeing the black hair in person…but Rei looked beautiful. The pastel green, Grecian-styled dress made her entire profile unassuming and soft, rounded by the ultimate lack of jewelry and simple makeup. She was statuesque in all her splendor, especially with the rigidity of her profile, hands twisted with themselves and shoulders unbearably stiff. All the same…Mira could not help but feel slightly indignant. Certainly this was just makeup…she had always been prettier than her roommate, and it was like a fact that both of them accepted, but this didn't fit the picture—

Mira shook her head. What the hell was she thinking…squashing down the insecure jealousies of a powerful woman, she continued to watch as an aged doctor approached the group with a rapidity contrasting with his age.

It was a bit of a strain, but she could hear their conversation enough to understand what was going on.

"Is he all right?" said Lavi Bookman.

"Yes, he's past any danger," said the male doctor, extending a hand towards Lavi. "I'm Dr. Wexler—my team and I have made sure that he will be watched intently for the rest of the night in order to catch any abnormalities, but we don't expect to see any. He is sleeping now, and should not wake up until tomorrow morning."

"That's good to hear," said Allen, clearly relieved. "Do you know what happened?"

"He seemed to have ingested a dangerous amount of his anti-depressants along with liberal amounts of alcohol," said Dr. Wexler, shaking his elderly head. "He was seizing when he was found, wasn't he? It's not an uncommon ramification. Who found him?"

All heads turned to Rei, whose jaw was as clenched with the rest of her body.

"It's a good thing you found him when you did," said the doctor, nodding to her. "We are lucky to not have had any further problems; we managed to make him throw up anything he ingested and are monitoring him. His physical condition is stable, but…I must admit that psychologically, this comes off as a suicide attempt."

Mira's heart dropped a few notches. The Tyki Mikk she had met did not seem suicidal.

She was already mentally berating herself—how had she not thought of the possibility that the man she'd met was actually Tyki Mikk? He fit all the criteria—unearthly handsome, celebrity living incognito, unwilling to give his real name—of course…

"…Are you suggesting that he knew this was going to happen and still did it?" said Kanda with audible derision.

Dr. Wexler sighed. "It's not like taking medications is new to him. Combining meds with alcohol is a bad idea—that's common sense. He has a history of abuse and clearly knows the effects of doing this—I highly suggest that someone close to him talk to him about rehab. In light of rather pressing matters…we're still being beleaguered by a multitude of fans and reporters, and truthfully speaking, the doctors here are more worried about the patients who are having difficulty coming in than Tyki Mikk's reputation. Can one of you do something about it?"

"I'll go," said Lavi. "I'll clear up what I can—thank you for your help."

The physician nodded. "If the rest of you would like to stay, you are more than welcome. It might be prudent to contact his family, though I doubt the news is much of a secret at this point."

Wexler left, leaving a heavy silence behind. Mira saw Lavi's profile turn towards Rei.

"If you want to stay and talk to him…"

"I'm going home," said Rei calmly.

"…All right," said Lavi awkwardly. Mira could sense his guilt—it was nearly contagious. "Well, I'll pick you up tomorrow to visit him—"

"I'm not going to visit him."

There was a deadly silence after Rei spoke, and Mira could not repress a shudder. There was something strange about the way Rei was acting: cold, intent, and underneath all those layers of apparent calm, an unmistakable fury.

"Rei…" said Allen, "look, how about I drive Lenalee and you home and we can talk about this tomorrow? You're just in shock—you'll want to come tomorrow—"

"No," she cut in, "I'm not in shock, don't worry. I'm just going to go home, sleep, and stay home unless I need to work. Tyki can sit here and clean himself up."

Mira did not know exactly who she was feeling unimpressed at, Rei or Tyki Mikk, but either way, she was. Certainly Tyki Mikk was an idiot, but…she had not expected Rei to be so callous. Stupid though he was, he had still nearly died. At the least, he deserved a visit…

But who was Mira kidding? She was not part of their crew—she had just found out who Tyki Mikk was—why was she feeling so indignant?

Mira did not have more time to brood; Rei was already out the door, accompanied by the rest of the group. She didn't know why, but Mira did not have the slightest inclination to follow her too.

* * *

The paparazzi was ruthless, but there were still enough policemen around to clear an exit route for the group as they headed for their cars. It was late, it was cold, and Rei felt numb in more ways than one as the flashing camera lights never stopped and the shouted questions reverberated in the air: "Is Tyki Mikk all right?" "Will he go to rehab?" "Will he be sentenced to time?"

They left Lavi behind to deal with the press and went to the garage that had been sealed off for their privacy. As they stopped in front of their cars, Kanda turned to the rest of them.

"I'll take Rei home," he said, his tone blasé.

Allen looked skeptical. "Are you sure? I can send her—"

"It's late, idiot," said Kanda. "Send Lenalee home and go to sleep—it's way past your bedtime."

Lenalee kissed Kanda on the cheek, ignoring Allen's offended reaction. "Drive safely, then. You should get some sleep too—you look exhausted." She looked at Rei. "You too, Rei."

Rei nodded and managed a blue-lipped smile. "Goodnight, then."

They climbed in their respective cars, Allen and Lenalee to the Audi, Kanda and Rei to the Lotus. Kanda slammed the door closed and let out a deep sigh, his eyes closing as he brought up his hands to rub his temples.

"You okay?" said Rei, unable to prevent her teeth from chattering as she spoke.

"Yeah, my head is just killing me…" He looked at her as his sentence trailed off. "Shit. What the fuck. Your face is blue—why didn't you say something?"

"I just figured that we would turn on the heat soon and—"

"Do you know what happens when you get a cold?" he snapped, shrugging off his jacket. "You feel like shit and you look like even shittier shit—how do you think you're going to shoot with a face like that? Here." He tossed his jacket over at her. "Put it on."

Rei sighed and slid the sleeves through her arms. Kanda's cologne was fresh and soothing and his remnant body temperature infectious. Rei could have fallen asleep right there and then, so unwilling she was to think about anything further.

"Home?" said Kanda.

They could both tell that his suggestion was an empty one.

"Do you have some outfits done?" she asked.

Kanda glanced her way as he started the engine. "You want to work?"

"Depends if you're up for it."

Kanda dialed into his phone as he pulled out of the garage.

"Hey, bean sprout. Meet me at Illusion in ten. Bring Marian and Lenalee if you can."

* * *

"I'm surprised," said Kanda dryly. "Why aren't any of you complaining?"

They were gathered in the makeup salon; Lenalee was the substitute makeup artist, as everyone else had gone home, and was therefore responsible for ensuring that Rei's makeup transformed from the Grecian simplicity to something much bolder than before. Kanda was perfect and therefore never needed makeup, so he sat along the sidelines, already changed into a deep navy button-up and black trousers. He was busy practicing lighting a cigarette while Allen and Cross set up the photography equipment.

"Because truthfully," replied Lenalee, "none of us were sleepy after what happened. Cross apparently was brooding because his girlfriend came all the way from overseas only to be called to work here—"

"I was not brooding, Lenalee," called Cross's gruff voice through the open door, "what kind of sentimental man do you think I am?"

"—and thus all of us didn't have much of a problem coming over here," finished Lenalee. "Though honestly…" She pointed her eyeliner pen at Rei's clothing, "that's pretty scandalous, Kanda."

"Yeah," said Allen as he joined them, "aren't you cold, Rei?"

"The heat's turned all the way up," she said, examining her reflection in the mirror. "I feel fine."

The clothes were risqué, to say the least. The dress was black and tight-fitting; the low-cut was uncomfortable by her standards, held up by a weaving halter-straps that crisscrossed slightly above her breasts before melting into the rest of the cloth. Worse, the back was painfully bare, exposing every scar above her hips in startling contrast.

"You do remember I have scars, right?" said Rei, turning to him. "That's why you covered up the other dresses with lace—what about this?"

"You'll see," he said, frowning slightly as he surveyed her. "Did you get fatter?"

"Kanda!" said Lenalee, aghast.

"What?" he said, frowning even deeper. "I was certain I got her measurements down…why do you look like you're about to burst?"

Rei bared a thin smile. "It must be all the parmesan chicken I cooked."

"You ate _parmesan chicken_? Are you a fucking model or not?"

"I couldn't have just eaten vegetables—I would've, but then Tyki—"

She caught herself. It had been an hour since she'd left the hospital, but even so, she felt a wild rage fueled by panic fill her. She could not believe him. Nor would she continue to stand by him if he let it go on.

"Never mind," said Rei. "Can we start?"

* * *

"Interesting concept," murmured Lenalee as she watched. "Does the blood look real enough?"

"Looks fine…we might adjust the lighting so that it looks a bit darker," said Cross softly as he peered into the lens. "Actually…I think it's all right. They just need to start doing their own thing." He raised his voice slightly. "Rei, don't let your makeup do so much of the work—I need glare from your eyes, I need them to be more alive. Right, better. Kanda…have you _ever_ smoked?"

"No," he snarled. "This is just cancer in a stick."

"Right, well you need to learn to love cancer in a stick," said Cross, "because you suck at it. You're dangling the smoke right in front of her eyes and I think she's crying."

"We couldn't use electronic cigarettes?"

"Those are for sissies."

The set-up was completely different from the one before; the old Victorian wallpaper had been stripped down and the room had been transformed to a landscape of purely mirrors. Kanda and Rei were surrounded on all sides except for the front, with one mirror shattered to their left and the shards decorating the floor. This time, it was Rei who was pressing Kanda to the wall, giving the camera her back profile, which was clearly eye-catching in its own right; every natural scar now donned some concoction of Lenalee's that looked disturbingly like blood. On her arms dangled a multitude of chained bracelets that juxtaposed in a strange way with her dress, trailing from her and wrapping around Kanda's arms as well, linking their bodies together. What was the most disquieting about her image, though, was the silver gun balanced in her hand, its head digging into Kanda's temple.

"Easy on the gun," said Kanda, annoyed. "You're pressing a bit too hard."

"Shut up and just focus on your cigarette," said Cross shortly. "Look away from the camera—no, don't look at yourself in the mirror either. I want _Rei_ to do that—you look at your cigarette. Good, distant, ignore that there's a gun pointed at your head. Arm around her waist—keep it there. Rei, keep the gun steady, now I want you to glare at me through your reflection—don't turn around, I want the mirror to do it. Eyes a little up—perfect."

Allen gave a content sigh as he watched them.

"Great job on the makeup, Lenalee," he remarked.

"It wasn't anything," she answered modestly. "I just did what I emulated what Rei was wearing when she was Kanda's bodyguard and then added a little extra."

Allen nodded absentmindedly.

"I don't know…what do you think of it?" he said, keeping his voice low as Kanda slowly turned his head according to Cross's directions. His hand came up higher across Rei's back as it touched one especially prominent scar, and though the gun stayed in place, Rei's gaze softened and her body relaxed at the touch.

"It's interesting," said Lenalee. "It leaves a lot for speculation; he's embracing her, yet he's the one pinned against the wall and with a gun to his head. And though the glass is shattered, she's the one injured—was she injured protecting him, or was she injured trying to hurt him? Or, in the end, was it a little of both?"

"Mm…" Allen leaned his chin on his hands, his expression pensive. "The chains too. Didn't Shishou say that this was 'reincarnation?' So the chains are…what, chains of fate?"

"I suppose. That might be a bit gaudy—perhaps we should tell him."

"Nah, it works…though I think it only works because I know Rei and when she was a bodyguard."

"And the circumstances that she was in," added Lenalee. "You can't rule out whatever they had going on then either. This _did_ happen before, after all."

Allen glanced her way, sensing that she was perhaps a bit uncomfortable. "Do you want to leave, Lenalee?"

"No, I'm fine. I liked Kanda a long time ago…though truthfully, I'm not exactly sure why. I like this shoot a lot though." She leaned her head against Allen's shoulder. "It makes me wonder a bit."

Allen smiled as he leaned his head on hers. "About what?"

"…If this shoot is merely Cross telling their story," she murmured, "and if this story has an ending yet."

* * *

"Thanks for the ride," said a freshly showered and cleanly scrubbed Rei as Kanda dropped her off at her apartment.

"Che. Be glad I didn't fall asleep at the wheel."

"…Your phone went off a few times on the way here," she said. "Was it Leila?"

"Probably," he said dully.

Rei looked at him worriedly. "…You should get some sleep, Kanda."

"Yeah…you too…" He tried to stifle a yawn. "God, I wanted to get wasted tonight too…"

She gave a tight smile. "I'm glad you didn't."

"Che. Don't worry about Mikk."

She didn't reply as Kanda yawned again. It was strangely cute. She'd never seen Kanda yawn before—it was like watching a cat who refused to be petted suddenly admit that it wanted to be. Kanda leaned his head on his steering wheel.

"Fuck…" he groaned. "How the hell am I going to get home…"

"Where do you live?" said Rei concernedly.

"…An hour away…"

"_Why_?"

"It's quiet," he said irritably. "And I don't go home that often—maybe I'll just sleep in my office…"

"You've been sleeping in your office for the last week, Kanda—get some decent sleep."

"I'm not going to make it home at this rate," he snapped. "Forget it, I'll just sleep in the closet in my office—there's a sofa in there and it's soundproof…"

"You can sleep over at my place," she suggested.

He snorted. "That'll lead to a lot of awkward questions."

"In the guestroom, of course," she said, shivering. "Hurry up and go park—I'll go and clean up the guest bed, which you messed up anyway…"

"Are you sure that Mikk—"

"It's fine. It's not like we're sleeping together." She straightened up. "I'll go ahead then—the door will be open so just come in."

She headed up the stairs to the flat, glad that the apartment complex was so secured and tightly guarded and she therefore held no risk having Kanda sleep over. It was not like she let him stay without her conscience nudging her, but she was irritated enough—no, furious enough—at Tyki to not give a damn.

Kanda joined her in the depths of the apartment shortly after she finished making his bed and ensuring that there were toiletries stocked in his restroom.

"Lock the door," she said, checking to see that all the window blinds were drawn.

"…Why do you think Mikk did that today?" he said, turning the lock behind him.

"He's…" Rei heaved a sigh. "Can we talk about this tomorrow? I'm tired."

"…You know he's going to be jealous if I stay over," said Kanda simply.

"That's not my purpose," said Rei serenely. "I let you stay over because you fainted—"

"I don't faint."

"You collapsed today," she plowed on. It was like trudging through mud as she forced the words out of her mouth. "I'm worried about you, like any other friend would be. True, I am aware that Tyki will not be happy."

Kanda stepped towards her.

"And?"

"And I don't care—well, I do, but that's not the point. He's self-destructive to the point of suicide, Kanda. I'd thought about it before, but today was a big step in the wrong direction—he doesn't mean to be suicidal, but…he needs someone to fix him. He needs someone to sit down, to tell him that he's got to stop or else he'll seriously hurt himself. And that was what I was planning on doing—I thought I was making progress, I thought I was doing some good. But…it's not the same thing that I thought it was. He needs to…he needs to understand that when I see him do these things, it hurts." Her voice steadily declined in volume, from the masked serenity to the now shaky quietness. "It really does. And today I realized that…I can't go, willingly, and salvage what I can of him—he's got to do it himself. He knows—he knows how much I worry. If he doesn't help himself…he's going to destroy himself. And he's going to destroy me with him."

"…And that's what he wants," stated Kanda. "It's taken you five years to figure out—this is what he's always wanted." His fingers came up and brushed her cheek, trailing from the cheekbone to her chin in one fluid moment. "To make you like him. You should know by now—you can't fix him. He has to fix himself."

Rei stared at him, an odd smile at her lips.

"…Are you certain I'm not just thinking for myself?"

Kanda gave a cold smirk as his arm dropped down to his side.

"Probably."

* * *

Despite everything she'd said the previous night, though, the first thing Rei did when she woke up the next morning was call the hospital. She kept her voice low, since Kanda was still sleeping, as she cooked breakfast.

"Dr. Wexler? Yes, I was there last night…is he all right?"

"He's a bit tired," replied the doctor, "but otherwise in stable condition. I've advised that he stay in the hospital for a few days before being discharged—I've also asked a psychiatrist to come speak with him if need be."

"That's great," said Rei, relieved.

"Do you want to come in to see him?"

"No…that's fine. I'll call in regularly to check if he's all right though."

"Certainly," said Dr. Wexler, sounding a little confused. "I'm sure he'd enjoy some company though—"

"No, it's fine," said Rei. "Thank you for your help."

"My pleasure."

She hung up and set her phone aside. A voice spoke behind her, causing her to jump.

"So much for not caring," he said, showered and fully dressed. He did not look pleased.

"Good morning to you, too," she said wryly, turning back around to stir the eggs. "Wait a little while—the eggs are almost done—"

"It's fine," said Kanda brusquely. "I'm on my way out."

"But I'm done—"

"Forget it."

* * *

He still could not quite believe why the things Rei did still riled him up. Kanda left her apartment, not bothering to shut the door quietly as he uttered a few curses under his breath.

"Well, that's certainly interesting," said someone in front of him.

He looked up to find Mikk's bloody sister standing at his apartment door. She was smiling, her eyes alive with curiosity they trailed from him back to the door he'd just exited.

"What the fuck are you doing here," said Kanda rudely.

"I'm just getting a few things for Tyki," Lulubell replied, unperturbed with his coarseness. "But that's not as interesting as you coming out of…" Her lips contorted between a smirk and a grimace, "my stepdaughter's apartment."

"That's disgusting."

"I didn't make the rules, Yuu Kanda."

Kanda scoffed and made his way past her, but not before Lulu had another word.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Kanda." She turned so that he could see half her face, but her smirk was wide enough to see from a mile away. "You never know when something might just go wrong."

"Is that a threat, Noah?" he snarled.

"No," she chuckled. "It's just a warning."

* * *

His mood went from sour to acrid; the presence of Noah members always irritated him, but it did not help that he could not fully understand what he wanted from Rei. Kanda admitted the relief he'd felt when Rei had refused to stay with Mikk, to finally make him fix himself, learn to act like an adult—but no, she could not _quit_ him like Kanda wanted her to. It wasn't hard to tell: Rei was as addicted to Mikk as he was to her, which meant that Mikk had already won.

But _what_ had he won? Did Kanda want her? No, he was not in love with her. He…

Fuck.

He didn't know.

Kanda leaned back in his office seat and let out a sigh. The door creaked open without announcement, and because it was not followed by a loud squeal like a pig, which meant it wasn't Alma. He could only feel relieved.

"Anja?" he said.

"Guess again, sweetheart," said Leila Fontaine, her arms wrapping around his neck from behind. Her perfume smelled nearly pungent. "Why didn't you pick up last night? Did you…" She buried her nose in his hair, "sleep at someone else's house?"

"What makes you think that?"

"Your hair's still wet," she said cheerfully. "If you drove from home, it'd be dry by now, and I know how much you hate using the showers here unless you really need to. So? Who's the lucky girl?"

"Not in the mood, Leila," sighed Kanda.

"…You realize I _am_ jealous," she said chidingly.

Kanda's expression didn't change.

Her lips snuck across his cheek to his mouth.

"You must not be in a good mood," Leila remarked. "Want me to distract you?"

Kanda exhaled and laid his head back so that she had full access to his mouth.

"Yeah," he breathed. "Distract me."

* * *

"Charming," said Tyki. "The entire family's here. Don't worry, I survived."

"I'd kill you myself if I could," deadpanned Lulu. "What are you playing at, Tyki? You realize you're the number one searched topic on the Internet?"

"Wonderful," he said. "Road, you didn't need to come from your vacation in France."

"I don't know, Tyki," she said, resting her chin on her hands, her golden eyes glittering mischievously, "you seem like you need a little help."

Tyki chuckled painfully. "Your big brother is quite fine."

"Your big brother," seethed Lulu, "is an idiot. You almost _died_—what the bloody hell are you laughing for?"

"Because your reaction is just so funny," laughed Tyki, his insides aching as he did. "Did you honestly think I would die? I can't die, Lulu—"

"You aren't indestructible," said Eiji gravely. "You came very close to dying last night—if someone hadn't found you—"

"By the way," interrupted Tyki, "who did find me?"

"The doctor said it was that little bodyguard girl," answered Road.

"She's not a bodyguard any longer," corrected Lulu.

"Whatever," said Road nonchalantly.

"Well?" grinned Tyki. "Where is she?"

"Who?" said Eiji.

"Rei, of course. I half-expected her to be here when I woke up, sleeping here."

Lulu stared at him incredulously. "Are you high?"

"I'm in a hospital, Lulu—do you really think I could be high?"

"She's not here," said Lulu scathingly. "In fact, I saw Yuu Kanda walk right out of her apartment this morning." Eiji glanced her way. "I imagine they could be shagging."

Tyki didn't reply, and before anyone else spoke up, there was a quick knock at the door. It pushed open without announcement, and in walked an Asian woman in scrubs whom Tyki recognized vaguely.

"You…Mira Chang," he said, stunned. "What are you doing here?"

"Sorry for intruding," she replied, not meeting his eyes. "I'm just here to check your vitals—the other doctors are busy because there was a traffic jam of patients last night that they're still recovering from, so you're stuck with an intern to interpret if you're dying or not."'

"We'll leave you then," said Lulu, her chair scraping against the tiled floor as she stood. "It wouldn't hurt to check if he's addled in the brain as well. Eiji, Road, let's go get breakfast."

"Great," said Road, bounding up from her seat, "I'm starving. See ya later, stupid big bro."

Tyki was left alone with Mira, who was effectively proving to be duly bad company. He glanced her way, perturbed that she seemed to be deliberately avoiding him.

"I suppose," he said slowly, "you are angry that I didn't tell you who I was back then?"

"Not in particular," said Mira. "That was my fault—my lack of information."

"Then…could I inquire what I did to warrant your anger?"

"…I hate irresponsible people," muttered Mira, turning the beeping monitor towards her.

"Oh. I see." Tyki laid comfortably back on the pillows. "You think I was being irresponsible."

"What else?" she said mockingly.

"I was," he admitted. "It wasn't a good idea last night—I realize that. All the same…" He paused here, thinking. "I think part of me wanted to do it, despite being conscious of the effects."

"You _wanted_ to die?"

"No, not die. I…" His lips contorted into a frightening smirk. "You have to realize that I'm an extremely…possessive person. I tend to get what I want."

* * *

Mira's heart dropped a few inches again; this always seemed to happen when it came to Tyki, though why, she wasn't sure—or perhaps she was, but didn't want to admit it because it was entirely unreasonable for her to be potentially interested in him.

Instead, she followed his conversation with steady tenacity of one who knew she was losing regardless of the means…but exactly what she was losing, Mira didn't know.

"This has to do with said girl," she said.

"…It does," he confessed. "It always has to do with her." His gold eyes flickered her way. "But that's not the point. Miss Chang, why do I get the feeling that you're upset at me because…perhaps you fancy me?"

Mira never blushed. In times of embarrassment, her face did not redden but instead plunged into pallor, which it did right now as she stared determinedly at the screen whose numbers now represented nothing.

"You're deluding yourself," she said point-blank.

He chuckled, and suddenly, Mira felt him grab her wrist and pull her down onto him. She resisted against him as reflex but any movement froze when she found their faces centimeters apart from each other, and for the first time in her life, she felt her cheeks warming up, her heartbeat accelerating.

"What the fuck are you doing," she snapped, struggling to break hold of his grip. "Let go—"

"You really do act a lot like her," he said, his hand reaching up to brush her cheek. "Have you already been seduced, Miss Chang?"

The door suddenly opened and Mira took the opportunity to scramble off the bed and face the incomer, an excuse utterly unprepared but necessary to explain the awkward position she'd been found in—

It was Anita.

Mira's eyes widened. Shit. Rei did not know that she knew Tyki…and Tyki did not know that Mira knew Rei…but Anita was brilliant enough to put two and two together, which Mira could see that she was doing at that precise moment…

"Excuse me," said Anita with a beautiful smile. "I'm here just for a run-through—are you finished checking his vitals?"

Mira nodded. "Y-yeah, I'm on my way out."

"Mm. Will you still be in the hospital in about half an hour?"

"Yes…"

"Excellent," said Anita, "I'll find you then. Thanks for your work."

Mira left without another word, bewildered that Anita had not said anything, but she could feel a cold gale swoop through her—what was she doing—she could not possibly be interested in Tyki. It was too soon—this was only the second time that they'd seen each other—and he was Rei's—

But they weren't dating.

Mira cursed at herself and headed straight for the restroom, where she promptly splashed ice cold water over her face to clear her thoughts.

Rei came first—obviously. Mira didn't even know Tyki. And Rei deserved a little more respect than that. Whatever strange attraction Mira held for Tyki was nothing—absolutely nothing compared to what friendship she and Rei had—that was an indisputable fact. Tyki Mikk could go to hell.

* * *

"My name is Anita Li," said the psychiatrist, sitting down in the seat that Lulu had vacated minutes before. "I'll be your psychologist."

"Do they need to put me in a madhouse?" said Tyki ironically.

Anita smiled. "Perhaps. Your behavior isn't exceedingly normal."

"I wasn't trying to kill myself."

"Well, that's a good start," said Anita, leaning back in her seat as she surveyed him. "That implies you had a reason to do what you did—do expound upon it."

He realized that she didn't have a notepad or even a pencil to take notes with—strange psychiatrist. He could not help but feel oddly threatened by her petite profile: the elegant poise, the cool-eyed demeanor. He decided to approach her the way that he always dealt with women.

"On the other hand…" said Tyki, "you're an extremely beautiful woman—"

"Taken," said Anita breezily, "by none other than a redheaded photographer you happen to know."

Tyki stared, all flippantness evaporating. "…Holy shit."

"Precisely," she grinned. "Now that I know you will give up any futile dreams you had, let's talk. I'll start off—I know Rei Matsumomo extremely well. She was my patient while she was in New York."

This was not what Tyki had been planning—how the hell had his psychiatrist ended up to be both Marian's girlfriend and Rei's old psychiatrist?

"We might need a reassignment," said Tyki, his tone now steely.

"You don't need to be worried—I will tell Rei nothing about what you say, and likewise, I will tell you nothing about what she was like for the last four years," said Anita, her tone reflecting his. "I asked specifically to treat you, though, because I want to see what kind of man Tyki Mikk really is. So let's start—are you really interested in that intern just now, or does she remind you of someone and therefore serves as a replacement?"

"Neither," said Tyki coolly.

"Mm-hm." Tyki could tell that she didn't believe him. "Then let's talk about what you did last night. If you didn't want to die, then what did you want?"

Tyki refused to answer, and instead settled for a stony silence.

Anita's expression softened and she smiled. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude or intrusive. Please don't be so recalcitrant—I'm trying to help, and I believe I can help best because I understand your situation and Rei as well. I didn't mean to come off as bitchy."

"Charming."

Anita grinned. "So…what did you want from last night?"

"…Are you certain that all of this is private?" said Tyki dryly.

"You can sue me if it leaks," promised Anita. "I won't utter a word to another soul."

Tyki was dubious, but Anita's expression was one of renewed promise and sobriety; he could feel his initial giddiness upon waking up slowly drain away, and gravity settled between them.

"…I don't know what I wanted. I just…" Tyki exhaled, "I knew Rei was going to find me."

"Why?"

"Because it's like her. Always…worried about me."

"Do you like her worrying about you?"

"What man likes being worried about?"

"You know that's not what I mean," said Anita. "You did that last night because you knew Rei was going to find you—which means that you wanted her to find you. That means you enjoy her worrying about you."

"Not worry," said Tyki sharply.

"…Not worry…but think," she said pensively. "You want her to think about you."

Tyki didn't reply.

"So what does that say?"

"That I'm an idiot," he muttered under his breath, growing uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation.

"Perhaps not. You're…possessive. You wanted to ensure that she was going to worry about you and consequently think about you. The question is: why? Why did you do something so drastic? Was there some external pressure? Perhaps you thought someone else was monopolizing her attention?"

For some reason, when Anita put it that way, Tyki sounded incredibly immature. Insecure. Weak. And even though what she'd said was true to some extent, he couldn't help but feel repulsed by her shallow interpretation of it all. It was not just that he wanted Rei's attention. He wanted something much more than that—he wanted a mutual realization for the both of them, a…an old chemistry and comfort.

"I see I've upset you," said Anita, standing up. "We can stop there for today. One word of advice though—don't act on your own expectations."

Tyki narrowed his eyes. "Meaning?"

"You expected Rei to be here this morning, taking care of you, thinking about you. Well, she's not here. You will expect Rei in the future to act this way and that, but she won't. I don't think the Rei you know is the Rei she is now, Tyki Mikk. I was her psychiatrist for three years. There comes a time…" Here, Anita paused, her face unreadable. "There comes a point when her changes will catch up to her, and you're going to have to deal with them, to decide whether or not you can cope with that change and still accept her, or move on."

"And are you saying I should accept those changes?" said Tyki.

Anita slid open the door. "…No, I'm not. I'm just saying…anticipate them."

* * *

"Sorry, I've been busy," said Rei as she wiped the bathroom counter. "How's your apartment?"

"Great," said Mira. "It's really close to London, actually, so transportation to school is going to be somewhat of a bitch, but at least it's close to the hospital."

"That's good to hear," chuckled Rei, making her way out of the guestroom and closing the door behind her. She headed over to the kitchen. "God, I'm starving—which is so sad since I ate two people's worth of breakfast today…"

"It's okay, you never get fat."

"That's what you think…"

Mira chuckled, but it was short-lived. "Listen, Rei—"

But before Mira could finish her sentence, there was a soft prod on Rei's shoulder, and she whipped around immediately. She stopped breathing.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she exclaimed. "Hey, Mira, I'll call you back—" She hung up and stared at the man in front of her with ever-growing disdain and incredulity. "What are you doing? Why aren't you in the hospital?"

Tyki looked at her silently, having somehow changed out of his hospital gown and into a comfortable sweater and khakis. His face was haggard and drawn, and Rei's heart clenched at the visible signs of the consequences to his stupidity from the previous night. She stubbornly refused to let it show, and instead frowned deeply and turned away from him and examine the depths of the refrigerator with improved concentration, furious at Tyki for even having the gall to show up in her house without preamble.

"I thought I told you to lock the door," he said tonelessly.

"You're worrying about me now?" she said, straightening up with a smoothie in her hand. "You should worry about yourself—fucking idiot, you probably thought it was funny, scaring everyone shitless and thinking everyone was going to wake up at your bedside crying over your stupidity, and—"

He grabbed her by the shoulder and pressed her roughly against the refrigerator. Before she could say anything, his lips came over hers and he was kissing her like she hadn't been kissed in years—she struggled against him, hitting him where she could with the bottle in her hand but he snatched it away from her and tossed it somewhere else—and then his tongue was—

She broke off, gasping and glaring. "Don't you dare—"

Tyki ignored her completely, kissing her roughly again and immobilizing her thrashing arms against the fridge, continuing right where he'd left off, his tongue slipping into her mouth forcefully as his body closed against hers, and she could feel his heartbeat and his warmth and—

And suddenly she was kissing him back, desperately, frightfully, no control over herself, her mouth fighting against his and her knees buckling under her. He let go of her arms and brought them to her legs, lifting her and setting them on either side of his hips as she linked her arms tightly around his neck, unable to stop herself, unable to let go. It was incomparable—impossible—she had not felt this when she'd been in New York, nothing remotely close to this gasping, this wickedly pumping heart, this feeling that everything under her hands was fiercely tangible but intangible at the same time—this loss of self, a delirium, a despairing want and need and hope and fear and everything in her body that made her feel violently alive. And she knew that Tyki was the same, the uncontrollable movements, the short breaths, his hands slipping around her body, familiar and knowledgeable, finding the smoothest way to take off her hoodie and then unbutton her jeans, and they were gaining momentum, quickly, her hands under his sweater, his on her breasts—

But abruptly they stopped. Simultaneously. Unknowingly.

As if something were off, something were wrong, and they stopped kissing, and just looked at each other, realizing that their hands and their placement and their heartbeats and their lips no longer seemed appropriate where they were, and this realization stretched on as Tyki let her down slowly, still breathing raggedly, his skin detaching from hers but his eyes never leaving.

It wasn't an awkward realization, nor was it uncomfortable. It was slow, stilted, as they both stood there, staring at each other, wondering, what was wrong, what was off, was that lust or love or too much of one and too little of the other—what had they been missing—

"You're shaking," he remarked, his forehead leaning against hers.

She was. She was trembling violently, weak, a thin layer of perspiration covering her face.

"You're frightened," he continued.

Rei had nothing to say. Only her silent gasps, her recovery, her slow-to-come levelheadedness.

And then came the question, his tone one level lower towards dangerous.

"Why?"

She thought it was impossible to answer, so overwhelming were the torrential emotions flooding her. She tried to verbalize them, her voice shaking, her hands unable to gesticulate.

"…I don't know what you're going to do to me," she whispered back. "I try and I'm not thinking about you but then it's like I can't stop—I can't do it. I…I'm scared. Of what you're going to do to yourself. Of what you're going to do to me. Because what you told me so…so long ago…" She took in a deep breath, trying to master herself but futilely so, "that you wouldn't willingly do anything to hurt me…I can't believe that anymore."

His eyes studied hers levelly, his lips lingered above hers, and everything about their situation could've been interpreted as romantic had it not been for that further dip in Tyki's voice, the lurking danger imbued in it.

"Because you don't trust me."

"…I don't," she breathed. She could not stop the fear from overpowering her, an impetuous flow of water from a breaking dam of control. She managed to get out another sentence, even quieter than the one before. "Not until you fix yourself."

He took a step back, their chemistry gone, supplanted by a fright on her part, a threat on his, and no matter how much of their lust resided, connection—or lack of—trumped all.

"You've never trusted me," he said quietly. "That's how it all ended before…and yet…"

His fingers brushed her cheek, the old, the same, the past.

"…Who knows if it'll start again."

And then it was gone.

* * *

"You weren't being serious when you said that Rei and Kanda could potentially be…involved together, were you?" said Eiji gravely.

"I actually was," said Lulu, sinking into a loveseat in their hotel room. "I did see him coming out of her apartment this morning and it looked like he'd just showered—he definitely stayed over at her place last night."

"That's hot," giggled Road, rolling around on the bed.

"Act your age, Road," said Lulu. "What are you going to do about it, Eiji?"

"…Wait," said Eiji simply. "Hopefully we've just jumped to conclusions."

"Why does it matter?" said Road easily. "Because Tyki will be heartbroken if it's true?"

"Heartbroken doesn't fit your brother," said Lulu deprecatingly. "No, it's because Eiji has business with Kanda."

"Ooh," grinned the teenager, notorious for her trouble-making and bold streak, "good business or bad business?"

Eiji mustered a chuckle. "Bad business, of course, Road. Leverrier wants Kanda dead again."

"Mr. Mikk, how could you just leave the hospital like that—"

"I feel fine."

"That's not the point, Mr. Mikk…"

"It's better if the paparazzi think I'm still in the hospital. I managed to get out unnoticed—I'd prefer if you left it that way."

"Fine, but you still have to deal with the police report—"

"My family will. In the meantime, I'd like to speak to a certain Mira Chang. Could you put her on the phone?"

* * *

And yet, for all of Mira's own conviction to never approach Tyki Mikk again, she found herself at his doorstep, uncertainly staring down at the apartment number she had gripped in her hand. She could not help it, no matter how much she tried—the nervousness when she spoke with him, the physical attraction, a…a desire she had not felt before. When she was with him, she felt…different. Not the genius girl full of temerity and assertion of her own intelligence—no, she felt insecure, but boldly so, nearly reckless instead of reasonable. So when he had called her, told her that he'd taken her I.D. without her knowing, she'd nearly been glad that whatever he'd met Rei for—for there was no one else Rei would hang up on Mira for—hadn't worked out.

She was a selfish bitch. Yet she couldn't deny it—the jealousy that had seared through her when she knew that Tyki had gone to see Rei, and then good friend Mira had disappeared and Rei had just become another one of those girls, a stepping stone for Mira to achieve anything she needed for greatness—and yet this wasn't for greatness, this was for selfish desires and her conscience screamed at her for this all to stop.

But she knocked on the door.

He answered almost immediately, as if he had been waiting for her, and at the sight of him, all pretense to demand her I.D. faded instantly because he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her inside, kissing her as he held her against the door, and then she couldn't stop, she didn't know what else to think because…

Fuck it all.

She really liked him.

* * *

Rei gave it a few hours. She sat there in her bedroom, brooding, thinking, mulling over her faults, his faults, like a love-struck teenager with a bad relationship. But that was what it felt like—like they only amplified each others' faults, like they were still so immature next to each other…

Her phone had rung a few times—some texts from Lavi, letting her know that Tyki had left the hospital, and then some from Allen, who said that the shoot last night had been great, and then one last one from Lenalee saying that there was another party at a five-star hotel for Bvlgari that night if she wanted to take her mind off of things. None from Kanda, and of course, none from Tyki.

She didn't trust him. She could admit it now simply because it was the bare, utter truth—she could not trust him with himself, nor could she trust him with her sanity or happiness. But she had done something wrong earlier that she could not quite pinpoint, but she needed to explain it to him, that she was scared for him and consequently herself…and that she was conscious of her selfishness but…

But she didn't know.

Rei heaved a sigh and prepared herself, tossing on a jacket as she left her apartment and headed for Tyki's. She half-wanted to just go back to their silly little Post-It note antics again, but there was a glaring hole in that plan simply because it didn't address anything, and that was precisely what she always did—skidded over the gaping fissures of their relationship and diverted their attention to elsewhere. She couldn't keep that up—it was now or never.

It was already late outside, freezing, too, as it began to snow again. She brought her hand up to knock, but the door opened before she could, and out came two figures.

"I'm fine, I'll take a cab—"  
She stared.

"…Mira?" Rei managed to say.

There was no immediate response, giving Rei enough time to examine the two of them briefly. That in itself was enough for Rei to deduce the rest, but Mira's hair was wet, and so was Tyki's at that, and that didn't leave enough room for much else.

"…Rei," said Mira, and for the first time Rei had ever heard, her voice had panic in it. "Rei, I can explain—"

But Rei had gone deaf to Mira's voice all of a sudden. Instead, her ears were filled with a loud buzzing sound, of incredulity and fury and betrayal—

"Rei," pleaded Mira, "just listen—I'm sorry—"

But Rei just turned right around, unable to stay, unable to understand, ignoring what she had just seen—why Mira, of all people, the girl who was the biggest threat—how had they even known each other—this was why Rei had deliberately withheld information from Mira, just because she had thought—

She stopped thinking. Stopped listening.

She just entered her apartment, those fissures in their relationship now unbridgeable chasms, and shut the door to her life tightly behind her.

* * *

"Why the hell am I here?"

"Because you abandoned me on Christmas," said Leila, her eyes wide and innocuous. "Surely you can at least accompany for an after-party, right? I distracted you oh-so-well today—do me a favor, all right, _mon cher_?"

Kanda let out a string of unprintable grumbles as he entered the crowded and classless room. He hated after-parties—there was always too much raucous drinking and public shagging going on, it was disgusting. It did not help that he was still in a terrible mood—Leila's distraction had proven to be less effective than he'd hoped because whenever he thought of Rei, he was still seized with an indescribable desire to choke someone. This meant that this desire had filled him for the entire day, for Rei was never far from his thoughts; the pictures from the previous night had been brought to his attention and even without Cross saying anything, Kanda knew what he was getting at.

The pictures were all familiar, the positioning, and as he looked at them, he was reminded of the Rei from a long time ago—fiercely protective, insecure but prideful, emotionally wavering but steadfast in her role as a bodyguard. It made him irritated but nostalgic, as if something in his chest were missing, empty.

Kanda cast his eyes around the room, trying to find a face he knew among the masses of tomato-faced idiots and hence a distraction.

"Boo!" said a voice behind him, accompanied by a stiff poke in his back.

"Dammit, Lenalee," he groaned, turning around. "What the hell…"

"Leila, Kanda," grinned Lenalee, clearly tipsy. "How are you doing this fine evening?"

"Fine," said Kanda shortly, annoyed to see her so obviously defenseless. "Where's the bean sprout? If he's leaving you alone this drunk—does he want you to get raped?"

"I'm fine," giggled Lenalee. "Allen's just getting more drinks but—ooh, guess what? Guess who's here?"

"Who?" said Leila, playing along with her.

"Guess, guess!"

"We don't give a damn; where's Walker?" said Kanda. "You can't just sit here drunk with everyone staring at you—"

"Rei!" said Lenalee.

Kanda stared at her. "What?"

"Yep!" laughed Lenalee. "Rei! She's here!"

"Why?" said Kanda quickly, ignoring Leila's obvious interest.

"I dunno," she answered. "She's over there though—" Lenalee waved to her right in one, unidirectional movement, "—drunk as me, drunker than me, with lots of guys—she seemed happy—"

"I'll be back later," muttered Kanda, letting go of Leila and forcing his way through the crowd.

"I knew it!" he heard Lenalee laugh. "You still like her!"

Kanda ignored her though did not forget to make a mental note and beat the shit out of Walker later for letting Lenalee alone like that—but at least Lenalee knew if she was hooking up with a random nutcase—something told him that that was precisely what Rei was doing, and when he finally made it to the other side of the room, drenched in sweat that sure as hell wasn't his. He was only grateful that it wasn't vomit, but didn't have much time to belabor this passing thought as he stared at the couple in front of him that was intensely kissing. Or, in his eyes, it was some fucking moron who sure as hell didn't know how to kiss right eating Rei's face.

Kanda acted before he thought things through—he grabbed the moron by the shoulder and yanked him off of her.

"Yo!" said the stranger, clearly American. "What's your problem, man, we were just—"

"Out of my sight," seethed Kanda.

"The fuck—"

"_Now_," said Kanda dangerously.

He positively scampered off, the words "Serious issues" audible as he left. Kanda turned to Rei, livid.

"You," he said, jerking his head towards the exit. "Come with me."

Rei sighed, almost bored, as she let Kanda drag her out into the thankfully deserted hallway. He gave one glance around to ensure that they were alone before pinning her against the wall with a lethal glare.

"What do you think you're doing?" he snarled.

Rei looked uninterested. "Getting fucked."

He stared at her. "…You're drunk."

"As hell."

"What's wrong with you?" he snapped. "What the hell do you think you're doing—did you just see that guy?"

"I came here for a reason…"

"He was _eating_ your face."

"Look," she sighed, "I came here to fuck someone. Either you get out of my way, Kanda, so I can find said person, or you can do the job for me."

She made a movement to slip past him, but he took her by the shoulder and held her against the wall, his eyes holding hers. This wasn't Rei. This was the same girl he'd seen that very first time in New York, when he'd mistaken Mira for Rei and had come face-to-face with someone who did not care for anything, whose morals were questionable and whose recklessness was evident; this was a girl whose eyes were deadened and she'd lost sight of something and didn't care anymore.

But did Kanda care? In the end, this was still Rei, and something in him was relieved to know that something had gone deadly wrong between her and Mikk if she was here, drunk, and available. In the end, it was clear: he wanted her, she was here—did he need the control—

"You don't mean that," he said hoarsely.

Her eyes flickered. "Try me."

And then his mouth was on hers, his hands were sliding under her back as his body forced hers between him and the wall and—this was what he'd wanted, this was what that kiss in the first photo shoot had hinted at but he'd been too careful to go for more for fear that he could not stop—but he couldn't now, there was no possible method out because he'd burnt the bridge himself, he'd undermined his own stubborn belief that he didn't want her—

But this was it.

Finally.

* * *

_free talk_:

_thanks for your patience. i have a feeling that this chapter might just make some people furious. i might be losing my touch on things. lj later, hopefully it'll be a long one. _

_please review!  
xoxo,  
m.n_

_p.s. no hacking problems, crossing my fingers it lasts! thanks for all those who offered advice. _


	53. Comfort Zones

**Chapter 10: Comfort Zones**

* * *

She woke up the next morning not knowing where she was and how she'd gotten there. It took Rei a few seconds of staring at the ceiling to realize that no, this was not her room, and that there was actually the sound of someone's light breathing next to her.

Rei sat up only to have a wave of nausea pass over; she closed her eyes and held her throbbing head between her hands—shit…she must've drunk a lot to still have a hangover at…the clock read noon. She sighed and reluctantly turned to the person next to her—as memories of the previous night came back blurrily, she had half-hoped that it would be the American guy she'd never gotten a name from lying on the bed, but…no, it was Kanda.

She let out a long breath and lied back down on the bed, snuggling under the covers to stare at the ceiling as she thought of what had happened the night before. She remembered vaguely—Kanda grabbing her, the sensuality of their kisses, somehow making it into a hotel room, and then the messy and desperate undressing, his hands where they'd never been before, his mouth in places that she blushed to think about—honestly, the entire night had been blush-worthy. Kanda was…surprising. She cleared her head and began to think about what to do when Kanda woke up.

Always the best way to ensure that she'd never see a one-night stand again was to say that he was terrible in bed. She'd used that excuse plenty of times at NYU—she'd even been telling the truth. Eric, especially, was completely incompetent—but no, Kanda was good at everything he did, and that included pleasuring women—the previous night had probably been the best sex she'd had in years. Rei frowned and tried to clear her head again.

She could…perhaps say that she'd been too drunk, and everything had been a mistake. But she couldn't just avoid Kanda forever—in fact…who was she kidding? She was in no place to even be saying that Kanda was just a one-night stand…

"What are you thinking so intently about?" said Kanda's voice next to her, jolting her out of her staring match with the ceiling.

She turned next to him, glad to see that he looked more well rested than she had seen in a while.

"How to get rid of me?" he guessed. "You're thinking I'm a one-night stand? Che…so arrogant as to think that Kanda Yuu is just a hookup…"

"I was going to say that," she admitted, "but you're too good in bed for me to say that truthfully."

He stared at her expressionlessly, but there was a mutual understanding between the two that last night had not been a casual one-night stand, and not just because the sex had been good. That perhaps they had been edging in this direction because it was something that they owed to each other, and that the results were somewhat muddled because the enjoyment was shared but the ethics behind it were murky. All the same, it was not like this could repeat. Truthfully, last night had been a mistake—not one that made them feel terrible about themselves—but still, a mistake. They couldn't very well go and publicize the fact that they'd woken up next to each other, naked.

Kanda cleared his throat and rolled around so that his gaze turned to the ceiling.

"So…" Rei said awkwardly, "now what?"

* * *

Tyki woke up to the sound of Mira's muffled voice emanating from the bathroom, a quick, earnest whisper that he could only catch bits and pieces of. "I'm so sorry" was the phrase that came out most prominently.

He rolled out of his bed and opened the door to the bathroom, revealing a worried-looking Mira on the phone. She hung up the moment she saw him and hastily retreated.

"Not one more step," she said warningly.

"Who were you calling?" asked Tyki. "Rei?"

"She's not picking up—_I mean it,_ don't take another step near me."

"You didn't protest last night," he said matter-of-factly.

"Because I…" She seemed flustered. "Because I'm a terrible person—I was, last night, but I'm going to be a better person now and that involves you not—_don't touch me!_"

Tyki cupped her face in one hand and forced her to look at him. She struggled only slightly as he fought for her phone and, after successfully attaining it, tossed it into the toilet.

She was aghast. "How dare you—!"

"Don't call Rei—she won't pick up. We lost any chance at reconciliation with her when she saw us after we'd slept together…the first time," he smirked. "So much for your explanation and insistence that she was your friend—you didn't have such determination to be a better person when I asked for a second round last night. Besides…"

His eyes trailed from the kiss marks he'd left on her neck past the shirt that she was wearing—_his_ shirt, actually—to the long, bare legs that were left so exposed and available to him. He reached down and grazed a finger from her knee to her thigh. Mira instantly stiffened from the contact, which only made his smirk wider. She pushed him away but only half-heartedly, for her lips were already burying in his neck, her hands were coming up to his chest—

"No," he chuckled, touching her inner thigh, "I don't think you've become a better person at all."

* * *

"We were drunk."

"That's a terrible excuse. And you were sober."

"I was tired."

"So you had sex? You're awful at this."

"Nothing happened. I just left you on the bed and then I fell asleep on the couch."

"…That could work," said Rei as she stepped out of the bathroom, her hair wrapped up in a towel. "That's actually pretty good—except what are you going to say to Leila?"

"I don't think any of you understand what goes on between Leila and me," said Kanda dryly, picking at the fruit that room service had sent for breakfast. "She doesn't care what I do—and I don't care what she does. If we're going into technicalities…sure, we're what people would call dating. If we look at things in perspective, we honestly don't give a shit about each other."

"I think that's just your crassness speaking," said Rei, sitting down on the bed and unwinding her hair. "I don't think many people can sleep with you and not give a shit about you."

"Your flattery is unsettling," said Kanda bluntly.

"I'm just stating the truth," smiled Rei. "Okay then. Not a word about this to anyone, all right?"

"Of course, that means Mikk as well," said Kanda, studying her intently for a reaction.

She merely gave him a wan smile as she began to braid her hair.

"So?" he said, plucking grapes off the stem. "What made you get drunk last night?"

"Just wanted to join everyone else in the festivities," she said casually, looking to make sure that her clothes were prim and proper. "Can't be the only one left out, right?"

He only looked at her with a mixed expression—she caught a hint of distrust and wariness.

"Did something happen between you and Mikk?" he asked.

"…No, nothing," she said. "I just got a little…well, when I think about it in retrospect, I think I turned a little back into the immature girl I was four years ago—"

"You're really no better now," said Kanda with his usual candor.

"Thanks," she said wryly. "No, I think I got a little possessive with Tyki…I saw him with someone else, and I suppose my feelings got hurt so I decided to get drunk and then ended up in bed with you—probably not the best idea, but what the hell." She patted down her hair to make sure no strands were sticking out.

"I'm the rebound?" he said sarcastically.

"You could think of it like that. So…we're cool, Kanda? We're not telling anyone anything, right? The media would have a field day…"

"Yeah, of course not," he said blandly, his lips closing around a strawberry. "I'll see you out the door."

The sentences were empty and his expression did not change as he bid her farewell, but he made no movement to walk her out, and Rei made no movement to stand up and leave. They only sat there, staring at each other, guessing, waiting for the other to make the first move, but Kanda only sat there, eating his fruit, his lips slowly parting into a smirk as he saw that she wasn't making an effort to leave.

"How can you eat?" she said abruptly. "Don't you have a hangover?"

"I was sober. You're the only one who wants to throw up."

"…I should probably get going, right?"

"Yeah."

She just kept staring at him, and then a split second later, she had pounced on him and was kissing him furiously—she could taste the remnant of the strawberry in his mouth and could hear him scoff as his hands came up her waist and he pulled her fully onto him, his fingers already unbuttoning her blouse with the adroitness of one who had done this many times before—and it wasn't just about the sex—it wasn't that at all—but despite the clear urgency between them, she never would've told him that, and he wouldn't have ever admitted it either.

* * *

"That's it!" gasped Mira, stumbling out of bed and grabbing for the clothes that she'd come in the night before. "That's it—no more, I can't keep being seduced like this—"

Tyki grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back onto the mattress.

"Miss Chang…" he said in his most seductive manner.

"Oh, fuck you!" she said, diving out from under him. "If you keep doing this, I'm going call this rape—"

"Certainly not," said Tyki, astonished that she had even suggested such a thing. "Clearly, this was all consensual—you kissed me first just now."

"Damn it!" said Mira, tugging on her stockings. "I hate you, hate you, what the hell—I've only met you twice—and I've known Rei for so long—"

"You didn't know _Rei_," he said. "You knew whatever woman she was trying to be."

"They're the same," said Mira in a steely tone.

"No, they're not," said Tyki simply.

"People change," she said evenly. "I don't know what she was like when she was with you, but I respect her and this—what I've done is unacceptable, I can't believe what I've done."

Tyki arched an eyebrow.

"You've done me," he said cheekily, "three times now."

She chucked a pillow at him, which he dodged successfully.

"I suppose I can see your appeal," he chuckled as he straightened up. "You are miraculously similar to what Rei was like before—though most of the time, a tad more mature, which I happen to like."

"I can't say the same," she said breathlessly.

"…Really?"

"Fine," she relented, "you're _really_ hot, you're absolutely fantastic in bed, you're probably unlike any other dickhead I've ever dated and I find you so incredibly alluring—"

She cut off her sentence midway as it seemed to register what she'd been saying.

"Go on, Mira," he said.

She only glowered at him.

He sighed. "You can stop pretending, you know, this whole…'good girl' act, the 'good friend' façade…I can see right through you."

Her glower intensified at his suggestion, but Tyki kept talking.

"As much as I like to compare you to Rei, you have a major difference—self-assurance. From what I heard last night, you…you're not really sincere about her."

Mira looked furious. "How dare you—"

"I'm being honest," he shrugged. "Your self-assurance benefits from the fact that you are everything Rei is not—intelligent, beautiful, and all naturally so. You unconsciously thrive on her inferiority—"

"I do _not_ see her as inferior," said Mira coldly. "I respect her immensely as a friend and—"

"If you did respect her so immensely, you wouldn't have slept with me at all," he said.

"Do not try to pin this all on me," she snapped. "Yes, I made a mistake—I thought that I…I thought I felt something for you, something deeper, but I was just being stupid—I tried to convince myself that Rei wasn't good enough for you, but I—you're the one who's not good enough for her, casually sleeping around and you're the one seducing me—"

"Why do I feel like you're more articulate normally?" said Tyki dryly. "Face the truth, Mira, the only reason you regret us sleeping together is because it's your duty as a friend—but I'm telling you that I don't care much for pretenses. You hurt Rei, I hurt Rei, we're a pair—I've gotten to the point where I don't really care much for mean streaks."

Mira looked at him in disgust. "How was she even remotely attracted to you?"

He chuckled darkly. "I don't know. Maybe for the same reasons that you inexplicably are."

* * *

It was a bit humorous, actually, to see that the life lessons that Tyki had taught her so long ago were still applicable. Again with Kanda rose the tentative questions of what defined lust and love, how far "owing each other" stretched, and the ultimate judgment of whether or not what they were doing was wrong.

They lied in silence, her head on his chest, his hand absentmindedly working its way in her hair in that peculiarly soothing way that only someone like Kanda—stoic but not unkind—could do. Rei listened to every passing heartbeat, thinking, wondering, if she had made a grave mistake, if she had been too impulsive and the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she had wronged Tyki and wronged Kanda and probably had landed herself in quite possible the worst situation she'd been in ever since she'd arrived in London.

And yet…she didn't want to move. Didn't want to turn to Kanda and honestly say, "This was a mistake, we're a mistake," because no matter how much she wanted to deny it, seeing Tyki and Mira together made her not want to listen to any explanations or any reasoning—she did not want to even remotely think about them.

"…What time is it?" said Kanda, his chest rising under her cheek as he spoke.

She checked the clock. "Two in the afternoon."

"…We have a shoot at three," he said.

"I know."

They made no initial movement to acknowledge that their time in isolation was close to expiring. It was that old sense of comfort that kept them there, thinking about their walks along the river when she had first come to London, Kanda in the ear-muff hat and the hope that nothing could trespass on their serenity—Rei smiled ruefully. It had been the same back then, too, when she had indulged in this peace because she hadn't wanted to think about Tyki.

She sighed and sat up.

"We should probably get going," she said.

Kanda didn't answer. Instead, she felt his fingertips on her back, tracing a thin ridge near her spine. The way he stroked it was nearly uncomfortable—violating in a manner she wouldn't have expected. She stood still, though, as his finger ghosted over the scar, up and down, over and over.

"…Rei."

"Mm?"

"Why did you leave?"

She had expected this question to crop up again, sooner or later. Rei glanced back at him and saw that his expression was not hostile, merely inquisitive. He spoke with the flat neutrality of sheer curiosity, no ill intentions, no harbored antagonism. But still, she had not talked to Tyki about it, and something seemed wrong in telling Kanda first.

She turned back around and didn't answer.

"…Bookman knows, doesn't he?" said Kanda. "It's why he forgave you."

Rei still said nothing.

Kanda's touch disappeared and there was a rustling behind her as he sat up as well, his shoulder brushing hers as they stared at their reflections in the mirror across from them. Kanda's hair was messily sticking up on one side where Rei had run her hand through it, but he didn't do anything to rectify his disheveled appearance; he, after all, was still a god of a man, disheveled or not.

"Do you have to know?" she said suddenly. "Now, I mean?"

"…It would help me," he said, getting off the bed to shower.

She turned to him as he disappeared into the bathroom.

"Help you what?" she called.

There wasn't a reply for so long that Rei thought he'd just ignored her like he typically did. When he answer, though, she could tell that it held a tint of curt annoyance directed to the both of them.

"…Sort myself out."

* * *

Mira Chang was the world's most terrible roommate, friend, and now, doctor. She was witnessing firsthand the empty pit that was Tyki when it came to alcohol and could only watch in a mixture of horror and fascination as he seemed to down one shot of vodka after another without being slightly affected.

"Want some?"

"It's three in the afternoon," said Mira disapprovingly.

"Live a little," he scoffed, handing her a shot glass. "I could tell even from your reactions last night—you're so controlling, so…on top of things. By the book. It's just alcohol."

"If you black out—"

"You can call the ambulance," said Tyki cheekily. "Cheers?"

She poured herself a shot and clinked the glass against his.

"To…long life and prosperity," she said sardonically.

"I'd like that," he said, nodding to her and drinking it. "Mm…wonderful."

"Okay," said Mira, setting down her empty drink, "I really have to head home to change into my scrubs—"

"Don't you have a day off? It's not even the New Year yet."

"People have accidents regardless of the day, Tyki."

"C'mon, Mira," he grinned, grabbing her by the wrist as she attempted to leave. "Life is much more fun with you around."

He was a liar and she knew it, but again it was that unexplainable attraction that pulled her to his lap—the more she thought about it, the less her guilt made sense. He and Rei hadn't been dating…and all she'd done was…well…like him, and then sleep with him…was it that bad?

His hand slipped over her shoulder and down her shirt, causing her to stiffen.

"Mira," he said huskily, his hand cupping her breast firmly.

"No," she said, strained, "I…"

"Stay a little?" he whispered.

Why was it that she was so vulnerable to him—she couldn't even protest properly when his hands came prowling predatorily over her body, sliding her clothes off easily and—

"No," she gasped, tugging herself out of his grasp and fixing her clothes. "We've done it three times already and I don't know how I'm going to function if it continues on like this."

He looked mildly disappointed.

"Fine…but you'll stay, right?"

Mira nodded uncertainly.

"Have you ever snorted cocaine?"

She stared in disbelief.

"What—hell no! I'm a doctor!"

"It's not bad for you," he sighed. "It's been medically proven as a brain tonic and even remedial for cancer—"

"Do you have cancer?" she said, seething.

"No," he replied, "but if I said I did, would you want to some to snort with me?"

"You are—"

"There's always a first time for everything," he said, heading to his room to presumably raid his stash. "Besides, it's always more fun when we're drunk."

* * *

"…Did something happen between them?" said Rei, bewildered as she saw Allen and Lenalee deliberately ignoring each other as they set up for the photo shoot.

Kanda shrugged. "The bean sprout's probably mad that Lenalee got drunk last night."

"…But there's nothing wrong with that—"

"You don't know Lenalee when she's drunk," said Kanda with a miniscule shudder. "She gets clingy and vulnerable without even knowing it—she's a prime example of how women get taken advantage of when they're intoxicated."

"So Allen's just worried about her," said Rei as slid the sleeves of her dress over her shoulders. "Where's the zipper on this thing?"

Kanda stood behind her and pulled the zipper up her back slowly, but not before his hand slid down the dip of her back smoothly before trailing its way up with the zipper. She shot him a warning glance through the salon's mirror which he ignored impassively.

The door opened suddenly and the two of them separated fairly quickly to leave a few feet of distance between them. Allen's head appeared behind a stack of boxes with an uncharacteristic frown on his face.

"Am I interrupting something?" he said.

"No, of course not," said Rei. "Do you…uh…need help?"

Allen looked between the two of them and his frown deepened.

"Did something happen between you two?" he said, setting the boxes down against the wall.

"Are you growing senile?" said Kanda. "Is your old age finally catching up to you? Does it look like something's happened? Or are you just deaf?"

"I was just asking," hissed Allen.

"You and Lenalee okay?" said Rei.

"You can't leave her alone to go get drinks—and clearly, she'd had enough," said Kanda. "She's going to get raped when you're not looking—"

"I know that!" said Allen angrily. "I told her to stay put, and she was sober then! But then she downed like five shots when I wasn't looking and wandered off before I came back—and when I did, Leila was practically pulling some guy off of her—speaking of which…" His expression cleared. "Why weren't you with Leila?"

Allen was now frowning so deeply that a wrinkle had appeared between his eyebrows.

"In fact…how come you two came in together today?"

"I gave her a ride," deadpanned Kanda.

"From where?" said Allen.

"Her house."

"Liar," said Allen vindictively. "Lavi checked this morning to see if Rei was home—she hasn't been in since last night."

"Where are you going with this?" said Rei wearily.

Allen's voice dropped low. "If you two are…together—"

"We're not," they both said immediately and concurrently.

"Definitely not," said Rei.

"You think I would even think of touching _her_?" said Kanda with his magnificent condescension. "I have a much larger pool to choose from, thanks."

Rei glared at him, to which she could've sworn she saw Kanda smirk. Allen continued to look between the two of them, still dubious.

"Well…none of my business, but—"

"Yeah, you're right, bean sprout," said Kanda sourly, "none of your business—instead, why don't you keep a better lookout on Lenalee or I'll tell her sister complex of a brother that you let her be in a room with a pack of savage men—"

"Fine, fine," said Allen, raising his hands up in surrender. "I was just guessing—clearly nothing is going on—"

"I got drunk last night, Allen," said Rei, deciding to be upfront about it. "Kanda saw me and took me to a hotel room—nothing happened, I fell asleep on the bed, him on the couch. There. That's it."

Allen nodded. "Okay then. Anyway, I just came here to tell you that we're good to go."

* * *

"Yep…" said Allen more to himself than anyone else, "something definitely happened…"

"What was that?" said Cross.

"Nothing, Shishou…"

"Did you say something happened between those two?"

"Uh…"

"I'm not mad at you, idiot. I agree—I'm just not sure if I'm right."

"Nope…" said Allen, watching as Rei leaned her head comfortably on Kanda's shoulder. "I'm pretty sure you're right…you can tell by the way they're looking at each other…"

They shot right inside one of _Illusion_'s pre-setup rooms, a large room with high ceilings and aged, white brick walls that contrasted with the rest of _Illusion_'s strictly modern architecture. The wardrobe for the shoot, however, was contemporary cosmopolitan. Kanda donned his uncommonly worn white-framed glasses that complemented his white suit, which, again, was one that he didn't wear often. For the first time, Rei was not wearing a dress, but instead wore a soft, loose peach blouse tucked into a high-waist skirt. Over this was a stiff red cape-like coat, with no clear sleeves except for the slits out which her arms from the elbow down unobtrusively protruded. Matching her coat was a cute solid red hat that only emphasized the femininity of the whole outfit—it differed from the previous black and white harshness from the previous shoot.

"So we're going for modern city couple today, obviously," said Cross louder so that Kanda and Rei could hear. "The whole purpose of these shoots is to have a stark juxtaposition of old and new, ancient and modern—in other words, you're a timeless couple. The story of everything is up for subjective interpretation, but I'm thinking of it as reincarnation—Kanda, how many more pieces have you got finished?"

"A couple," he said offhandedly.

"Might want to get a move on," said Cross under his breath as he peered down into the camera. "I don't want it too intimate today—act as if you're walking away from each other, but—oh."

It was obvious what Cross had been so surprised about—the directions were pointless past a certain point, for Rei and Kanda moved possessed with the same mentality without words; they walked away from each other, but their hands remained loosely intertwined, Rei's scarlet nails as vibrant as blood against Kanda's pale skin. And though their body language spoke of indifference otherwise, Allen saw them sneaking glances at each other—startlingly enough, always at the same time. One quick look back, one click of the camera.

The shoot continued in silence; Cross did not direct but instead let them do what felt natural—slowly, they came back together, hands drawn apart as Rei's arms climbed up Kanda's neck and his slipped around her waist. Everything about it radiated "couple," rich couple, complicated couple, self-driven and motivated couple, but still, couple. Allen watched curiously—the shoot emanated a tenderness that hadn't existed in the previous ones, a comfort that had always been held back before. No, they were definitely lying—something had happened.

His mind wandered. Had they slept together? If he was thinking about the Rei and Kanda from a long time ago, the answer would've been no, but the two of them had changed immensely in that aspect, and for some reason, it wasn't as scandalous a speculation as he would've thought.

"…Um…Allen?"

The sound of Lenalee's voice behind him automatically pulled his thoughts away from the potential couple in front of him. Allen turned around to find a guilty and somewhat ill-looking Lenalee behind him.

"Hi," she said hesitantly.

Allen turned back around to watch the work unfolding in front of him.

"Hey," he said reluctantly.

"…Are you still mad?"

"…Yes," he said acidly, though he sounded much less angry than he wanted to be.

Lenalee sat gingerly down beside him and hugged her knees.

"…I'm sorry…" she said. "I know I was supposed to be more responsible than that—I was just…um…excited…"

"It was dangerous," said Allen shortly.

Lenalee winced. "I know…but I was taking shots with Rei and I…I guess I had underestimated her drinking capacity…"

"That's not an excuse, Lenalee," he said sternly, but keeping his voice in an undertone so that he wouldn't disturb Cross. "You should know better than that—Rei ended up having to have Kanda take care of her, and then Leila and I had to take care of you—it's scary when I think about what could've happened. What would I say to Komui-san? That I couldn't take care of you properly? He'd kill me."

Lenalee was silent as she continued to hug her knees tightly and started to rock back and forth. This was the position she took when she felt guilty and had no consolation—Allen sighed and patted her head, thinking ruefully that he couldn't stay angry with Lenalee even if he tried.

"Don't do that again, okay?" he said. "I'm scared for you a lot of the time."

Knowing that she had been forgiven, Lenalee flashed him a brilliant smile.

"Mm-hm," she said, pecking him on the cheek. "And you'll have to take care of me anyway, so we can just get drunk together next time—"

"Lenalee…"

"Just kidding," she said hastily. "Seriously. Um…oh, I forgot to tell you—Leila's waiting in the lobby."

"For who?"

"Kanda, of course."

Allen grimaced. For some reason, he didn't feel against Kanda and Rei…but that wasn't necessarily good…

This didn't bode well at all.

* * *

"What are you doing here?" said Kanda as he sad down in his office.

"I'm not even allowed here anymore, you're so preoccupied with your model now?" said Leila without antagonism.

"I don't like hearing shit, Leila."

"Where did you go last night?" said Leila, crossing her arms.

"Some things came up," said Kanda.

"Rei," said Leila understandingly.

"Don't be mistaken," he said warningly. "Nothing happened."

"You really can't expect me to believe that," she smiled demurely.

Kanda sighed and rubbed his temples—it was already six in the evening, which meant that he was starving and still had a lot of work to do. The shoot had gone smoothly, but a little too smoothly—it had gotten to the point where the two of them hadn't wanted to move away from the camera at all.

Leila sat down on his desk and slid a hand up his chin to force eye contact with her.

"Do you want to know something interesting?" she asked.

"What," he deadpanned.

"Did you know that this entire time we've dated, I haven't shagged anyone else, right?"

Kanda's eyes flickered.

"No," he said honestly. "I didn't."

"I only gave you that impression because that seemed like what you were used to," she said with a smile. "An open relationship. But I knew that you never slept around with anyone else—Cera told me. Your use of girlfriends is only to keep the media and fan girls off your back—they could sleep around however they wanted, as long as they kept it quiet. I started dating you, though, because I seriously liked you, and I didn't mind that you weren't too attached because I thought it was something that would come with time. It would be an open relationship, but not really—I'd only give that impression to you and then perhaps we'd work our way somewhere. I never really thought that you'd actually end up sleeping with someone else though."

"What are you getting at?" he said, a flash of anger crossing his face.

"Don't play stupid, Kanda. I know—you and Rei. Even if you didn't shag her, you do have a soft spot for her."

"You're a fucking lunatic."

"I'm certainly not," laughed Leila. "I told you before, but I don't think you took me seriously—I am a little jealous. And I wish you would stop of your own volition before I made you."

Kanda narrowed his eyes. Leila only grinned.

"What? You can break up with me, Kanda—that could work. But when you do, I'll be sure to tell the reason why—you cheated on me with your little doll."

"Are you serious?" said Kanda, arching an eyebrow. "Blackmail?"

"Not really…just a tiny threat."

Kanda scoffed and leaned back in his seat. "You know, I had a couple of pre-screens before I consented to date someone. Attractive, for obvious reasons. Not an idiot, because I can't stand them. Not a fan girl, because they're the equivalent of suicide. And coming a step back from the 'not fan girl' rule, not clingy. You've just crossed that line."

"Seriously?" said Leila. "So you dated every single girl in the last four years in an attempt to merely stave of the public and amuse yourself while waiting for what? For Rei? That's borderline pathetic."

"And you're not at this point?" said Kanda crudely. "Che…"

"Call me what you will," said Leila, standing up, "I'm just stating my course of action in the event you do break up with me."

"Do what you want," said Kanda indifferently. "I'm not running for prime minister—I don't give a damn what others think of me."

"Oh, but does Rei?"

Kanda glared at her.

"Just food for thought, Kanda," said Leila as she left the room.

He had a fucking banquet full of food for thought.

* * *

"Well?" said Eiji.

Leila shook her head. "I think they slept together last night. I don't think this is going to work."

"I need you to try," said Eiji urgently. "By any means, separate them."

"I'll try, but seriously, is this a big deal?" said Leila, running a hand through her hair. "I mean, honestly…I have to pretend like I'm some love-stricken prick…Kanda's great in bed, but not _that_ great—"

"Spare us the details," said Lulu curtly. "I have no inclination to know the apparent wonders that the world's most androgynous male does in bed." She handed her a fat envelope. "The deal remains the same—separate the two of them, you get the rest of your money."

"I hate to do this to poor, beautiful Kanda," sighed Leila, taking the envelope, "but oh well…c'est la vie, no?"

Lulu smirked. "C'est la vie."

* * *

"Tyki," said Road, hitting him on the head lightly with a rolled up magazine, "you're a bad, bad boy."

"Road…"

"Lulu and Eiji are furious with you."

"Are you?" said Tyki.

"I was merely worried," said Road, crossing her arms and looking the other way.

"You have gotten so prissy," he muttered, downing his glass of wine. "Who the hell taught you that?"

"A lady—"

"Fuck being a lady."

Road looked at him concernedly as he poured himself another liberal glass. Her tone changed and he could hear the genuine anxiety in it.

"Tyki, please stop drinking so much."

"It's only my…"

"Fourth glass," said Road curtly, reaching over and taking it away. "Enough."

Tyki exhaled and ruffled his little sister's hair.

"Not you too, Road dear."

"I'm worried about you," she said seriously. "Didn't you ever think about what was going to happen to me if you actually did die?"

"I'm not going to die, Road," he said, plucking the glass from her. "I'm quite healthy, and—"

"You're not," said Road sharply. "You're not, and for once, everyone else is right. Have you seen the news?"

"That's precisely why I'm drinking so much," said Tyki. "My last girl saw the news and snapped out of the spell I cast on her—right when I'd gotten a doctor-in-the-making to snort coke with me too—"

"What?" interrupted Road.

"It's harmless," said Tyki reassuringly.

"Tyki," said Road with utter lack of amusement. "You need to get yourself cleaned up. Rehab—"

"Now you sound like Rei," he murmured, setting aside his empty glass and now reaching for a cigarette.

"Well, hasn't it occurred to you that she's right?"

"No, not really."

"Tyki!"

"She's not right. And even if she were, I couldn't believe her because I don't trust her."

"Why?" said Road.

"Because," he said under his breath as he breathed in deeply, "she doesn't trust me."

* * *

"Still working?"

Kanda looked up from the stacks and stacks of papers in front of him to see a casually dressed and make-up free Rei.

"What are you doing here?"

He couldn't say that he was annoyed to see her, but his comfort around her had spoiled slightly—Leila's words did not disturb him, necessarily, but they added onto a burden he was already trying to sort out.

"I don't have a ride ho—well, anywhere, actually, since I don't want to go home," she replied, sitting down in front of him. "I've been wandering around your building this entire time—a really beautiful place, truthfully speaking."

Kanda looked at the clock—it was almost ten o'clock.

"You wandered for four hours?" he said incredulously.

"All thirteen floors," she smiled, eating something out of her hand. "Eating all the while."

Kanda glimpsed at what she was eating.

"Almonds?" he said, thunderstruck.

"What?" she said innocuously. "They're good for you."

"You're only supposed to eat a little bit a day—have you been eating that for all four hours?"

"No," she smirked, "I ate chocolate for the first two."

Kanda stared at her.

"Are you," he said through gritted teeth, "or are you not a _fucking model_?"

"Eh," she said nonchalantly, finishing the rest of the almonds in her hand. "I've never been one to worry about my weight—for the first eighteen years, I exercised, for the last four, I dieted. Or starved myself. It was an on-and-off thing."

"You—"

"What are you reading?" she said, leaning over and taking the first sheet in front of him.

"Contracts," he muttered, setting his glasses down. "If we're going to expand, I need to get the right connections and see that our shareholders are reliable."

"Mm…are you going international?" said Rei.

"Just the West right now," said Kanda. "I'll deal with Asia later—it'll come easier because I can join with Tiedoll Corp."

"Maybe you shouldn't wait," she said. "The way the economy is globally right now, the U.S. and Europe aren't the best—in the meantime, Asia's rich are just getting richer, especially China. You should think about targeting the upper echelon there."

Kanda nodded succinctly. "I'll think about it."

Rei handed him back the sheet, which he took with wordless thanks.

"It's funny—I'm at NYU working my ass off to hopefully get into a business school and you're here with your own thriving company," she said. "The disparity…"

"Why are you going into business?" said Kanda, as if the idea were completely absurd.

"I'm graduating in a year," she replied, "I have to get a better grip on my future after college. I'm going to start applying next year and see if I can stay at NYU. Their business school is consistently in the top ten—"

"No, I mean," he interrupted, "why are you studying? Why are you going back?"

Rei looked at him, a little confused by what he was saying.

"I'm going back because I have to make a future for myself," she explained, as if he had asked how many letters were in the alphabet.

"What the fuck is going on," said Kanda irritably. "I don't even know who the hell I'm talking to—are you Rei or Mimi or your roommate or—"

A little smirk crept to Rei's lips.

"They're the same person," she said.

"No," he said defiantly. "They're not. _Mimi_ is the one who got drunk last night and—"

"So Mimi's the one who slept with you?"

This stumped Kanda. Rei's smirk widened.

"You're right, let's talk about this," she said. "Mimi, I suppose, is the persona I created to help me blend into my surroundings and stay out of your radar in the last four years. But that doesn't mean she isn't, well…me. Sure, you can think of it as a little switch—need a confidence boost, Mimi-mode, need to seduce someone, Mimi-mode, need to study, Mimi-mode. I only need Rei-mode when…well, I never need Rei-mode. Rei-mode ensures insecurity and immaturity and unreasonable decisions. But rather than think about it like I'm crazy, you can think of it as Rei from four years ago and Rei now. Much like we could think of it as eighteen year old Kanda and twenty-two year old Kanda. It's one and the same, just with four years worth of changes." Rei smiled. "Get it?"

"…So which are you now?" he said. "Rei-mode or Mimi-mode?"

"A little of both, I guess," she said honestly. "Mimi-mode drove me to sleep with you. But…I'd rather not think of it like that—it makes me sound schizophrenic. Let's think of it as…" Rei paused, evidently trying to formulate the words. "I, as Matsumomo Rei, made the rash decision last night to boldly hook up with someone because I wanted to get away from reality. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, that someone was you. But I, as Matsumomo Rei, am making the conscious decision to…" She averted her gaze, "hang out here with you because I want to, and in the end, both these decisions are mine, no one else's." She grinned. "Get it?"

His head hurt.

"Let's just stick with business," he said, tossing her some contracts. "It's less talkative."

* * *

"What the hell are you doing."

"I'm done reading."

"So now you're—_what are you drawing_?"

She grinned slyly. "You. I took an art class at school—I'm pretty good, aren't I?"

"Picasso in the making," he said sarcastically, dumping another pile of papers next to her. "You fucking suck—"

"You swallow," she muttered.

There was a pause.

"…What?" said Kanda.

"What?" she repeated.

"Did you just—I'm going to rip that fucking paper to shreds—your mind is down the fucking gutter—"

"It was a joke, it was a joke," she said hastily, grabbing for her artwork, "it's a joke at school but—oh, you dickhead…"

He tore the paper into sixteenths and tossed them in the waste bin. Rei sighed and leaned back in her seat.

"No sense of humor, whatsoever…"

"No one needs _your_ kind of humor," he snarled. "Look through the designs and screen them."

"Are they yours?" she asked.

"No, Anja's."

"Where is she, anyway? I haven't seen her around."

"Back in the Bahamas," said Kanda. "She's such a…"

"Dominatrix?"

Kanda stared at her.

"Oh. Wrong word. I meant she's just a dominating person, but…well, she probably is a dominatrix too, her personality—"

"Speak one more word and I will cut off your tongue," he deadpanned. "Do your work."

"_Your_ work," she corrected, flipping through the pages. "To think that you would trust me enough for fashion…I'm honored, so honored…"

They worked in silence after that. Kanda's head was buzzing with information overload—a branch in New York was a must—she'd changed a lot—Tiedoll was going to help—but he didn't mind the changes—upper echelon of China?—still comfortable, still serene, that was all that mattered—Leila—problems—and still no answers from Rei—

His phone rang suddenly and nearly to his relief. Kanda answered it without checking to see who it was.

"Kanda."

"Kanda," said Lavi Bookman, "you won't believe who the hell just opened Mikk's door—I didn't even know she was here—and if Rei knows, then no wonder she didn't come back home last night—Mikk just dug himself a hole to hell—"

"What the hell are you talking about?" said Kanda, completely bewildered.

Lavi let out a breath. "I went to Rei's to see if she was back because I hadn't seen her in a while, and she hasn't been picking up her phone, so I got a little worried. She wasn't home though, so I knocked on Mikk's door and then Mira fucking Chang opens the door—"

"Who's that?" said Kanda.

Lavi let out a noise of aggravation. "Rei's roommate. Her best friend from school."

"Oh. _Oh._" Kanda glanced over at Rei, who was looking at him curiously. "Well…so they're fucking?"

"Yeah, she was dressed but then Mikk came out in a towel and said that she'd forgotten her bra—"

"Don't want to know," said Kanda silkily. "That explains a lot, though."

"Explains what?"

Kanda addressed Rei. "Bookman says he's been looking for you and you're not answering his calls."

Kanda heard Lavi utter, "Shit" on the other line, but Rei seemed impassive.

"Oh. Yeah, I turned off my phone."

"He says Mikk's been sleeping with your friend. Roommate. Whatever."

"Mm," said Rei.

"What are you two doing together?" said Lavi.

"Are you using a secure phone line?" asked Kanda.

"Yeah, I mean, my cell, and it can't be tapped, but that's not the point—"

Rei beckoned for Kanda to hand over the phone, to which he arched his eyebrows. Only when Rei mouthed, "I'll tell him the truth," did Kanda consent.

"…Bookman?" she said, pausing to hear his reply. "Yeah, I'm fine. No, really—I thought about it—I didn't have a logical reason to get angry, it's not like we're dating. No…seriously, Bookman, grow a pair, would you? Yeah, I'm with Kanda. …Why? Eh…we slept together last night."

There was an explosion on the other side of the phone, for Rei winced and held it away from her ear. Kanda could hear every blaring word.

"WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED WITHOUT ME LOOKING?" came Lavi's voice.

"We slept together in the morning too," said Rei, looking at her still-red nails.

"WHAT IS GOING ON?"

"Truthfully, nothing," she answered calmly. "I'm just hanging out with Kanda because, well, I like hanging out with him, and I don't want to go back to that shoddy apartment. As maturely as I want to handle this, it seems that I can't help but still be resentful, and therefore I do not want to see either Tyki or Mira. And funnily enough, I'm actually pretty happy right now."

She paused for his response.

"I'm making a mistake? …I may," she admitted. "Though for a mistake, it feels pretty damn good. Okay, I'm fine, stop freaking out and trying to find me. Goodnight!"

She hung up with a look of satisfaction and handed the phone back to Kanda.

"I'm the rebound," he said resentfully.

"You've already said that, and I did say yes, but more importantly…" She pointed to the phone. "Will he blab?"

"He's got the biggest mouth among all of us but he's got more sense than that," said Kanda. "Still, tell Bookman and not Walker?"

"I did some thinking," she said. "For Bookman, it's easier to convince him that it's just sex. Allen…not so much."

Kanda looked at her skeptically.

"And is it just sex?" he asked casually.

Rei's gaze flickered to meet his.

"We'll see," she said thinly.

Kanda didn't know how to feel about that, but Rei steered the topic elsewhere.

"I've filtered the designs to my top ten—"

His phone rang again, but it was just the text message alert.

_Tell Rei I've already told Mikk why she left_, it read. _I said she made a mistake and it might seem to you that she didn't, but you can't let it go on, Kanda._

"Who is it?" said Rei.

Kanda stowed it back in his pocket.

"Alma being creepy."

"He seems nice," she said.

"No. Creepy."

She laughed and proceeded to show him the designs she found that she liked.

He wanted to know what had happened four years ago, that was true.

But at the same time, he didn't know if it was worth it. There was still such a considerable amount of food for thought to consume, but he knew that it was shared, that in those four hours of Rei wandering in his company, she had pondered the same issues he had been thinking about.

Yet, they were still here—still in that same peace, same comfort, same wavelength. It wasn't just sex, but it wasn't love either.

He didn't know what it was exactly, but regardless, it made sense that they didn't want to give it up quite yet.

* * *

_free talk_:

_thank you immensely to everyone for their encouragement. i hope you enjoyed this chapter.  
_

_sadly, here ends my commitment to weekly/more-frequent updates. i go back to school this week and really need to fully focus on academics, but i will definitely try to update when i can. in the meantime, thank you for sticking with me for two years (i forgot to mention last time i updated that i'd just passed DIW's second birthday), and i don't think this will make it to a third, but everything must end some day. :) _

_lj later with more about the chapter. _

_have a brilliant semester!_

_xoxo,  
m.n _


	54. Back to Your Door

_here begins a tentative countdown: 3 chapters left. thank you for bearing with the wait. i hope you enjoy as we near the end of this journey.  
xoxo,  
__m.n _

* * *

**Chapter 11: Back to Your Door**

Slowly, they fell into routine. Pairs of hands, glances, brushes, seclusion. Patterns, habits, staying up late but waking up early, soba and green tea, coffee and crepes, the new arrival of shampoo in the shower next to the simple soap. Late nights at the office and entire weekends hidden away in the home an hour away.

She wondered what it was. Happiness. Love. Peace. All of the above.

Or none.

They didn't talk about it. They didn't talk about much at all. Conversations fell through into ringing silences that bore down on them like a light pitter-patter of rain, relaxing and unthreatening, never preempting a storm.

* * *

As the New Year came around and went, taking with it the festivities of the Christmas season, Mira found herself buried in the solace of her own reasoning. Never had she felt this for someone—this sensation of missing, of longing, and of the ultimate realization that she felt no desire to prove herself to Tyki in the ways she normally would've. There were no conversations over tests, no talks of professors and recommendations and the future—no, Tyki was painfully present and revolved around the minute he lived in. The future was a laughable thought, a possibility that could or couldn't come, but he didn't care if it did.

It went against everything she ever stood for—the handlebars of control, everything in moderation, the cognizance of consequence. She felt a desperate need to keep up with him, to show that no, she could change to, she could live with the freedom that he did. That she wanted to.

But for some reason, it was never enough. She always felt like she was coming up short—that awkward feeling where she would try her hardest but know with just one glance from him that no, she was doing something wrong, but what?

Or could she do anything at all?

Because she could tell—sometimes when Tyki was laughing with her, he would almost unconsciously say Rei's name—Mira could always tell, the way his lips would curl over the R of her name, but he would catch himself before the name could vocalize audibly—his golden eyes would flicker over her, a visual reminder that she _wasn't_ Rei, that she was Mira…but Mira could never tell if that was what he wanted. If he wanted Rei, or if he wanted someone that wasn't her.

This comparison unsettled her. She didn't want the comparison.

It just felt like a race she'd lost before she'd found out she was running at all.

* * *

"Okay, that's a wrap," said Cross, finally standing up and stretching out his limbs. "Is this everything, Kanda?"

"Yeah," he said, running a hand through his hair. "I'm done—Anja's getting back from the Bahamas this weekend—we'll see if she wants hers modeled."

Rei glanced at Kanda but he wasn't looking at her. The conclusion that she had been thinking about for the last few days rose to her lips, but like always, she could not find herself voicing it aloud.

"Kanda—"

"Rei!" said a voice from across the room.

Rei turned to the entrance of the room, where Anita was waving next to Cross.

"Anita!" said Rei, breaking into a smile as she gave her a quick hug. "When did you get in London? Why didn't you let me know you were here?"

She saw Anita glance at Cross, who only shrugged and gestured to the lobby.

"I'm going to be looking over the pictures—take your time to catch up," he said lazily.

"Who are you?" said Kanda bluntly, approaching Anita.

"Anita Li," said the psychiatrist with a gentle smile, extending a hand. Kanda ignored it. "I'm Cross's…eh…"

"Girlfriend," said Rei.

"Eh…" Anita raised up her left hand, where a thin silver band gleamed at her index finger. "Fiancée work for you?"

Kanda visibly recoiled, and when Rei turned to him curiously, she could see that his expression was one of pure incredulity.

"Marriage?" he said, clearly winded. "To…_him_?"

"What's wrong with him?" said Anita innocently.

"Only that he's the world's biggest d—"

"I know Anita from New York," interrupted Rei. "She is—was—my psychiatrist."

Kanda looked disdainful. "What the hell did you need a psychiatrist for?"

"I…it's a long story," she said. "She's a good friend of mine."

Kanda's eyebrows raised. "Really."

Rei knew what he was implying—that her "friends" really weren't worth much in his opinion—but she ignored him. Anita looked interestedly between the two of them, but gave her attention politely to Rei as she spoke.

"We can meet outside?" suggested Rei. "Coffee?"

"If you keep drinking this much coffee—"

"Kanda," said Rei with a hard smile, "why don't you go back to your office and do…whatever work requires your undivided attention?"

Kanda shrugged and left them, clearly uninterested in meeting new people. Anita waited for Kanda to disappear into the hallway before letting out a low whistle.

"I don't quite understand how you managed to survive at school," she said as the two of them exited to the café in the lobby. "All these beautiful people beside you—Yuu Kanda is quite possibly the most beautiful man I've ever seen."

Rei arched her eyebrows. "Shall I tell Cross that?"

"Oh, no," laughed Anita, "I meant that in the least cougar-ish way possible. No, Kanda's a bit young for me, you think? But…" Anita looked at her slyly, "he's perfectly your age, mm?"

"How long have you been in London?" said Rei, steering the conversation from an area she was still unsure of.

"Since around Christmas, so…three weeks."

Rei stared at her. "You didn't tell me?"

"No," said Anita simply.

The conversation died as they sat down with their drinks and Anita made no further movement to speak. Rei felt a wave of apprehension—Anita was not speaking to her for idle chatter.

"I have a few things to talk to you about," said Anita.

Rei only nodded, unsure of what to expect.

"I didn't tell you about my coming because for these last three weeks, I've been Tyki Mikk's psychiatrist."

Rei's response was less violent than she herself would've thought.

"…Sorry?"

"You heard me correctly," said Anita.

"…You didn't meet with me because…you were afraid you'd be interfering?"

"Mm," said Anita, sipping her coffee. "I was called to be his psychologist out of pure luck—I only accepted because I was curious as to what kind of person he was."

"And?" said Rei calmly, swirling the foam in her cup around. "Has your curiosity been satisfied?"

"…No, I don't think so," said Anita. "He's…he's a complicated one."

Rei didn't answer. With Anita's presence had come a frigid kind of numbness in her—it was not like she had not thought constantly about Tyki for the last few weeks she had been in primarily Kanda's company. Rei _had_ gone back to her apartment a few times without Kanda knowing under the pretense of getting something, just to make sure that Tyki's lights were on, that there was activity in his apartment. She ignored the same pairs of shoes that were outside his door, rotating between nude pumps, worn black flats, and the tennis shoes that Mira would always go running in. Never did she see them—just hearing them was enough, and then Rei would leave as quickly as she could. There was no need to outlast her stay.

"Mira's sleeping with him," said Anita abruptly.

"I know," said Rei serenely.

Anita's eyes flickered. "You okay?"

"Mm."

"…She's sorry, but not sorry," said Anita.

"I know," said Rei. "Likewise. I'm sorry but not sorry for being angry. Logically speaking, I have no reason to be—it's not like Tyki and I were dating."

Anita smiled gently. "…And yet, all the same…"

"Mm…where to draw the line? It's like how couples break up before going to college and say that they're going to 'try to meet new people.' They're not dating, but if one hooks up with someone else, there's obviously going to be some ill resentment there. That's how I felt…but I can't say that it was my right to do so."

"Yet…you're sleeping with Kanda, aren't you."

The statement brought a small, wan smile to Rei's lips.

"Yeah," she admitted. "I am."

There were things about Anita that Rei appreciated above anything else, and one of those characteristics was unfailing patience and understanding. As they talked, there was no incrimination, no judgment. Anita spoke with the calm, detached demeanor of a teacher to a student, a doctor to a patient. It provided them an outlet for effectual communication.

"Are you happy?" asked Anita.

"…I want to tell myself I am," said Rei.

"But?"

"…There is a 'but,'" she relented.

"Doesn't feel quite right all the time."

"No, it doesn't."

"Do you know what that means?"

"No, I don't," said Rei, her gaze piercing. "Do you?"

Anita smiled. "That's something you need to ask Tyki, Rei."

"I don't," she said.

"You know you can't keep avoiding him like this."

"I'm thinking about returning to New York," said Rei.

Anita looked surprised. "What?"

"Not immediately," she clarified. "Not…not now. But…I'm not going to stay here for the entire semester. I won't last that long."

"You need to talk to Tyki."

Anita's statement carried a hard, certain conviction. Rei didn't know if she liked the sound of it, but Anita was looking at her—almost glaring at her—with such determination that Rei relented.

"I know."

"Never mind Mira," said Anita. "I've said what I could to her—but I know this, and she does as well, to some extent—she and Tyki won't last."

"Anita," said Rei wearily, "why don't you just tell me all the right things I should say to Tyki since you seem to know so much more about us than I do?"

"I can't do that," chuckled Anita. "Something like this…you have to figure out yourself. There is no right or wrong answer, Rei. The only wrong thing you can do is run away before you settle everything. That was what you came here to do. At the least…you need to finish it."

* * *

Since she'd started seeing Tyki, Mira's time in London seemed to fly by with a flurry of activity, rotating primarily between her days in the hospital to her clandestine trips to that apartment. Days would go by where she was too exhausted to go see Tyki, but it always seemed like he didn't care if she was there or not—never did he actively voice for her presence, nor did he go out of his way to see her. They always met in his apartment, stayed in his apartment, never went out anywhere else—Mira did not accompany him to parties, and vaguely she wondered if he woke up next to someone else on those nights, but she never asked, and he never offered the information.

It was much to Mira's surprise when a black Mercedes pulled up in front of the hospital after her shift one night. She wished fleetingly that it would be Tyki but knew she was only kidding herself, yet only when the window rolled down did she realize who the shock of red hair belonged to.

"Get in," said Lavi Bookman.

"Why—"

"You should know that you're being watched," said Lavi, nodding to something behind her. She turned around but saw nothing. "Your visits to Mikk's apartment haven't gone unnoticed. Get in before you cause a commotion."

Wordlessly, Mira climbed into the car and Lavi pulled out onto the roads.

"But if they see us together," said Mira, "we—"

"I was just bluffing," said Lavi. "There was no one there."

Mira glared at him. "What do you want?"

"To talk."

"Truthfully, you're the last person I would want to talk to."

"No, that'd probably be Rei," said Lavi bluntly. "You know, I think the better question is what do _you_ want?"

Mira did not answer. She hated the way Lavi jumped into conversation—no preamble, no false niceties—it was refreshing in certain circumstances, but this situation was not one of them. She wouldn't have minded hours of idle chatter, of beating around the bush before he got to his point.

"You want Mikk's recklessness?" he said relentlessly. "His abandonment of his own conscience? Does that make you feel more alive?"

"Pull over," said Mira sharply.

"I'm right this time, aren't I?" said Lavi evenly. "He's the exact opposite of you, and that makes you feel like you're actually experiencing something new—but let's go over what you've done for the last few weeks, why don't we?"

"Pull over."

"You've had sex an _x_ number of times, you've drunk infinity shots of vodka, you've probably tried out a few pills and drugs here and there—what else have you guys done? Doesn't sound too good when I put it that way, Mira Chang? Wouldn't look too good on your résumé either—"

"Pull over!" she snarled.

Much to her surprise, he did, abruptly and dangerously as he crossed three lanes at breakneck speed before his car screeched to a halt. The sudden force of it caused Mira to go swinging forward, her seatbelt cutting into her shoulder until she jolted backward against her seat, her head colliding painfully with the back.

"What the hell—"

"You said to pull over," said Lavi. "You shouldn't say things you don't mean."

"Why the hell are you getting involved?" said Mira angrily. "Let's get this straight and think about it rationally—it's not like Rei and Tyki were dating—and I tried, honestly, not to do anything but—I _like_ Tyki, for once in my life, I like someone, and it wasn't something I could stop. I'm sorry to Rei, but at the same time…where did I cross the boundary?"

"Logically speaking, nowhere," said Lavi calmly, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a pack of cigarettes. "You smoke, right? Here."

He handed her a stick of it, which she glared at for a second before taking it. He lit both of theirs before he continued.

"Nothing's wrong with you liking him," he said. "You're right, you technically didn't cross a boundary. It wasn't like you could've helped yourself if you sincerely like him. But at the same time…I didn't come here to play advocate for Rei—funnily enough, I only came to tell you what you're doing wrong, in the event that you would like to stay with Mikk and thus you can effectively rectify yourself."

"Considerate," she scoffed.

"You're doing a lot of things wrong," said Lavi. "You shouldn't let Mikk drag you around with whatever fucked up ideas he has. You think his recklessness is a good change—it's not. What you need to understand is that you can't be afraid of him being unimpressed with you or thinking that you're 'lame.' The worst pairing with Mikk is someone who enables him—truthfully speaking, I would've expected a little more resistance from you."

She noticed him sneak a sidelong glance at her, and because she knew that he was right, she did not respond.

"I wouldn't have planned for it to be this way," he went on, "but it's possible that Rei may end up staying with Kanda."

Mira turned to him raptly.

"With that jackass?" she said, horrified at the thought. "When did that happen?"

"They're sleeping together," said Lavi with a shrug. "I didn't exactly think that was going to happen, but…missing their potential chemistry was probably a bad idea." He sighed and leaned back in his seat, cigarette propped between his fingers as he let out a smoke ring. "I really missed everything this time…"

Mira let him brood in silence for a few minutes as she grappled with the idea of Rei and Kanda. Had that been natural, or had she catalyzed it? She could not help but shudder at the thought of Kanda—she did not like him, no, not at all…

And what Lavi was saying was right—she couldn't keep enabling Tyki, but at the same time, she didn't know how else to approach him. She wanted so badly to be different from Rei, to not be the exact regurgitation of her, but she could not find a way to act otherwise…

"I can't just 'be a good influence' for Tyki," she said evenly, turning Lavi's attention back to her. "I…I don't know if I can just be the same old _me_ around him…I always feel like it's not enough."

"I know," said Lavi simply.

"…Then why—"

"It's because you're not Rei. That's where your crucial difference is. And that's why you and Mikk won't last." He let out another puff. "I don't believe in soulmates—it's a stupid notion with no rational foundation—but Mikk's like that. He looking for a replacement—but you won't work. You're not Rei, and that's all it is. Plain and simple."

* * *

She let Anita's advice linger around. A solid weight on her conscience, suspended by the barest strings of reluctance and pulled down by the gravity of the future. The peace with Kanda was slowly evaporating—not between them, no, but it was the intrinsic, internal peace she felt when she was with him, soiled by her nagging conscience. She didn't show it outwardly, but Kanda wasn't as stupid or oblivious as she remembered him to be.

"What's going on?" he said one night as they looked over his final designs together.

"…Mm?" she said halfheartedly, circling a part of the dress she didn't like.

"Don't mark it," he said shortly. "You make everything ugly."

"Here," she said tiredly, giving it back to him, "you do it."

He took it without looking up. "What's going on?"

"Nothing."

"Don't be stupid. You've been weird since your _friend_ came to see you."

"You really hate the concept of friends, don't you?"

"For good reason—every single one of yours has stabbed you in the back," he said pithily.

"Mira…I can't blame her—"

"That's a lie. You're getting soft."

"Well, I never was quite an ass like you are," she said. "It's just that…sometimes what Mira did reminds me of…what I did with you a long time ago."

At this, Kanda's eyes flickered to her face, carrying a flash of warning and the understanding that they were now treading into unsteady territory. His gaze disappeared nearly instantly though, which Rei took as a sign of assent for her to continue.

"Sometimes…" She paused, unsure of how to phrase it, "sometimes it's just hard to say. You sort of…reason yourself out of reason. You forget morals, ethics, friendships…just because you feel something…special." The words sounded nearly painful coming out of her mouth. "And so I've just been wondering…did Mira do anything so different from what I did?"

"Yeah," said Kanda. "You didn't fuck me."

"I mean…" she said uncomfortably, "we kissed…and in terms of how far either of us had gotten at that point, it was in the same direction."

Kanda sighed and took off his glasses.

"So what do you want me to say?" he said bluntly. "That it's fine? That you should go and give her a hug just because you think you're the same?"

"No…" She looked down at the desk.

"You're not the same. Lenalee wasn't your friend."

She fixated on the crumpled corner of a sheet of paper. "I'm…I'm just uncertain. Of what's…the right thing to do."

Kanda nearly looked exasperated at this. "And you think I can help you?"

Rei stayed quiet, thinking. She could not stay in London for much longer, merely waiting things out. She needed to get the problems sorted out—Tyki, Kanda, Kate, Lavi, her father—and then she needed to go back to New York, where she was supposed to be normal, supposed to finish her degree, supposed to do what she wanted. But what did she want? She wanted peace, she wanted quiet and inner solace but she couldn't find it, no matter how long she searched…was it just going to remain like this? Suspended in this peace that seemed so temporary with Kanda but it was all the consolation she wanted, and yet…it wasn't enough…her mind always lingered over Tyki no matter how hard she tried to retain it.

"Kanda?" she said quietly.

"…What." His tone made it clear that he could guess what she was about to say and wasn't interested in hearing it.

She plowed mercilessly on.

"I'm going to go talk to Tyki."

Kanda's expression bordered a glare.

"What the hell for?"

"Because…it's about time I cleared things up…and…"

"Fuck," he nearly snapped, leaning back in his seat to survey her with an intensifying glare. "It's always like this—you never make any sense, you're always…"

"Leading you on," she finished for him. "I know."

"…Why do you still care about him?" said Kanda coldly. "After all the shit you two have gone through—I don't understand how you can even think about him. Is it that easy being soft? Is he that appealing? Are you just going to sit there and fix him and get together or whatever shit—"

"No. I'm not going to stay."

"Then what are you doing?" he said angrily. "You're going in circles, you have no end in mind but you're already trying to move things along—at least have a plan, Rei!"

"I'm going to go back to New York."

He took a few seconds to stare at her. "That's your plan? To run again?"

"It's not immediately," she said listlessly. "I…I won't leave until I resolve everything. But…" She held her tongue, thinking carefully of her next few words. "Seeing Tyki was the only reason I came back. I'd never planned to stay. And as…as wonderfully calm I feel around you…it's…"

"So let me clarify a few things," he all but snarled, "you're going to ignore everything we've been doing for the last few weeks, jump out of nowhere and tell me that you actually still are in…_love_ with Mikk but you're not going to stay, you're going to fix him and go back to fucking New York and go do whatever the hell you want and—_where is your logic, woman?_"

"I'm going back because there's nothing else I can do, Kanda. If things work out…Tyki needs to go to rehab. And I can't stay here, waiting. What can I do here? Model?"

Kanda didn't answer, and Rei bared a wistful smile.

"Kanda, I'm—"

"Stow it," he said, standing up. "I don't need to hear it."

He walked past her towards the exit.

"I'm going for a walk," he said. "When I get back, you better fucking be gone."

* * *

"You play guitar?" said Mira after she'd walked into Tyki's apartment and found him strumming his guitar.

"Mm…" he said absentmindedly, strumming it gently. "My agent happens to be getting annoyed with me…they say it's about time I come out with another album."

"You sing?" she said, sitting down on the couch beside him.

"Don't you know anything about me?" he chuckled.

The casual inquiry rattled her more than she let on—she had been wondering the exact same thing. There were things that she could not just learn through studying—and even after spending so much time with Tyki, she still did not have a good grasp on his subtleties, his disposition.

"Truthfully, I hate singing," he said. "I never meant to do it for the general populace—it was supposed to be more personal, something for fun…something more…intimate."

"Who did you used to play for?" said Mira, unable to contain herself.

"…I think we both know the answer to that."

Mira hated the direction she had steered the conversation and did not make a movement to continue it. A silence settled, punctured by the chords of the guitar, slow, undulating, and reminiscent. Upon close inspection, she was surprised to find that Tyki was not drunk or high—no, he seemed entirely sober. Pensive, nostalgic, quiet, but clearheaded.

She was only eternally grateful for the ring of the doorbell that broke through the guitar's vibrating strings, but it didn't seem enough for Tyki to withdraw from his memories.

"Could you get that, Rei?"

The words seemed to fall out of his mouth—the name must have sounded so natural to him that it took him several few seconds to process what he'd just said, but those were crucial seconds, excruciating seconds in which Mira stifled the indignation and pangs of hurt that screamed the moment he'd said it—

"You finally said it, this time," she said with startling evenness.

"I…"

"It's fine. I was just waiting for the time it would actually come out," she said, laughing slightly. "I always knew—the way your mouth would curl when you addressed me—I always knew you were inclined to say 'Rei' first."

The doorbell rang again, a little more insistently this time, but she did not make a movement to answer.

"She's sleeping with Kanda now, you know," said Mira.

The chord stopped halfway, and Mira felt some sort of vindictive satisfaction—not against Rei, but more against Tyki—as he looked at her in abrupt revelation.

"At this rate, I hope she stays with him," said Mira, standing up to leave, "just so you can keep sitting there, wishing and waiting and never being able to communicate because you don't know what to do—_God, Tyki Mikk!_" She couldn't help it anymore—the attempts to control herself fell through at the sight of Tyki's obvious sentiment. "_God_, you shouldn't have done anything to me! You shouldn't have done this, letting me—why didn't you just talk to Rei thoroughly? Why didn't you just work it out with her? You could've saved me, you, her, Kanda, you could've saved us all so much—so much _pain_—but your utter incompetence at this entire issue, your sad and shallow pride—I…"

She was glad—she had not shed a single tear—she'd probably lost some face but had preserved her dignity as much as she could've—Mira breathed in slowly, shallowly, forsaking articulation for impassiveness. The silence meandered through them, creating a chasm—Tyki's frozen fingers over the thin strings—Mira's stiff and unyielding shoulders—the room had gone cold, the snow was starting to fall outside—no tears, Mira, no tears, it wasn't not worth it—

Indifference, pride, she had to keep them—

"It has to be Rei, doesn't it?" said Mira hollowly.

Tyki made no answer.

And then the doorbell rang again, a little feebler this time, and the two of them looked at it, Tyki hesitantly, Mira with renewed resolution. She stepped forward and pulled it open.

It was Rei.

She looked at Mira with a nearly superior neutral expression, one that flickered with clear understanding as she shifted on her heels and adjusted her purse.

"Hey," she said.

"…Hey," Mira said, relieved to see her despite the consequences. "Hey, I…"

"I'm here to talk to Tyki," said Rei. "…I'm guessing he's in."

"Yeah, I'm on my way out—permanently," said Mira breathlessly, reaching over and getting her bag from the sofa. "I—Rei—"

"It's just for a little bit," she said quietly, brushing past her. "No one said you had to leave."

"No, it's fine," said Mira firmly, stepping out of the apartment. "I…I shouldn't have—"

"She didn't do anything she shouldn't have," said Tyki from behind. Mira turned to him, but even as he was talking about her, his eyes were on Rei, cold but wary—

She turned back to Rei, whose expression was unchanged upon seeing Tyki, and shook her head.

"I'll…talk to you later," said Mira. She slipped into her shoes, wanting nothing more than to disappear as quickly as she could before the chance of tears grew exponentially larger—

"…Mira?" she heard Rei say.

"Mm?" She was unable to muster anything more than that.

"…I'm sorry," said Rei softly.

She didn't want to hear it—not from her, she wanted him to say something, just a call back, but she knew better than that because that was what she had known from the start, but still, it wasn't like she could help herself from feeling the growing gnawing sensation—

She didn't say anything, only walked away as quickly as she could, her heels clinking on the ground, solid beats that drew her further away from the relationship she couldn't begin to fathom, but it was fine, it really was—

She couldn't convince herself to stop crying.

* * *

"There's no reason for you to be here," said Tyki.

Rei turned her attention from Mira's retreating figure to him.

"Good to see that you're sober," she said. "That doesn't seem to be the norm lately."

"Why would you know?" he said with the barest traces of a sneer. "You haven't been next door for a long time now."

She ignored the jibe.

"I came today to talk," she said, shuffling her purse strap. "No—don't worry about it," she said as she saw Tyki's body unconsciously move aside to invite her in, "we can stay like this…on either sides of the door."

She noticed his eyes narrow.

"I heard you and Kanda are…"

She didn't respond. He seemed to want to garner another reaction from her, but she remained unyielding.

"…That was a surprise," said Tyki. It was difficult to tell if he was being sarcastic or not.

There was a pause. Then…

"Are you two dating then?" he asked, his tone conversational.

She held his gaze levelly. "That's not what I'm here to talk to you about—"

"What are you leaning towards?" he interrupted.

"…Tyki," she said heavily, "I'm going back to New York."

He stared. "What? Already?"

"Not immediately. Only after I…it's going to be soon. I wanted to come talk to you…_now,_ because I need to straighten this out with you—this…my…reality, that…" She stopped, uncertain. She couldn't find the right way to approach and circumvented the route she had planned on taking. "Kanda and I…I'm going to go back because I want…I…Kanda…we…" She grimaced. "He's got better things to do than stay with me."

She thought she caught a spark of…something, she wasn't sure what, in Tyki's eyes—relief or malice?

"I mean…" she continued, "what's the reason he'd want? He has better things to do than stay with someone who can't make the commitment and still goes and makes sure that her stupid ex-boyfriend hasn't killed himself yet."

"I—"

"I can't just…can't just stay with him and feel so half-hearted about it. It…with Kanda…it seems so very stable. I know what he wants…what I want from him…and it's true—if I, if we…stayed together, I'd be…happy. But you…I…keep coming back. Just to check. Just to see…because I'm always worried. Because somewhere, I'm always thinking about…you," she said heavily. "And I think Kanda always knew too. We've both known…it just seemed like it would be easier to avoid thinking about it. You. Us. And…and so, I just wanted to let you know that…that I'm still here…waiting for you to…fix yourself, because I'm worried, but I can't do it for you—"

"So you're going to stay here as long as I'm not okay?" he said with bizarre hope.

"Don't," she said, showing the first traces of anger, "don't you dare think that you can pull a stupid stunt like you did before just so I can care—"

"But what if I wanted you to stay?" he said, and the statement seemed blurted out, unreserved, raw, and so unlike Tyki in its clear childish desire.

Rei's gaze softened. "You need to go to rehab, Tyki. It's not like I can go with you there."

"I'm not going to rehab, Rei, I don't need it," he said.

"Tyki, you do. You do need it."

"No, I…" Tyki looked at her as if he were struggling to hold something uncontainable within him and it was causing him physical pain, and right when Rei was going to inquire about it, he reached out and pulled her into his embrace, dragging her into the apartment, into the warmth and comfort of his surrounding arms—and she was reminded of that time he'd held her just like this, the last time she had seen him for four years, and even now, with his unstable condition, these arms seemed insurmountable, an impenetrable fortress—yet it was different, there was an urgency now, and his arms seemed to crush her, as if he were afraid she would evaporate if he didn't hold onto her tightly enough—

"I tried," she heard him whisper. "It's not the same. Not when it's not you."

She couldn't bring herself to pull away, but she couldn't hold him back—it would've been assenting to staying, to her fixing him but that wasn't what he needed—he needed to realize—

"Why are you leaving again?" His words passed as the gentle movement of his chin on top of her head, the low rumble of his throat. "Is it because you're frightened they'll come after you again? You and Kanda? And that your dad will finish what he aimed to do when Kate—"

It took her a few seconds to comprehending what he was saying, but she broke off the moment it processed, her eyes wide in understanding.

"…When did you…"

He seemed to realize that perhaps he had made a mistake. He tugged her wrist lightly, back towards him, but she shook her head and withdrew, scrutinizing him.

"When did you find out?" she asked.

"…Bookman," he answered. "Right when you and Kanda started your photo shoots."

"So…you've known for weeks. Months. You…before Mira and everything…you've known?"

"Rei."

"Why didn't you tell me?" she said softly.

"…I wanted you to bring it up yourself," he said, resigned. "To tell me what you couldn't four years ago. To…trust—"

"You were testing," she said. "Testing to see if I would trust you again. Just waiting, Tyki—"

"It—"

"Why…if you knew, you could've said something," she said, taking a step back—she was outside the apartment again, that doorstep remained their boundary— "You just waited? To see what? Was testing me that important?"

"If you told me yourself—"

"I told you that I didn't trust you. That I'm frightened of myself and of you when we're together because things always go so wrong—then why didn't you tell me that you knew? Didn't you think that would've repaired things? Helped me? If you knew, Tyki, why did you still overdose? Why did you not understand that the reason I left was because I couldn't stand the fact that my own dad took Kate's life—and that I so wholeheartedly respect that life—only for you to keep casting it away? These things—you couldn't tell me?" Her voice dropped to a weak whisper. "Knowing the truth…the reason why I left…it still didn't change anything for you?"

Tyki only looked at her. And the silence surrounded them, the frigid air blasting with it. Her heart had been thumping on the way up. Now it felt like she didn't have one at all.

"…Tyki?" she said softly.

His eyes conveyed his attention.

"Please go to rehab," she said. Her voice did not shake, but it was due to her quietness—any louder, and she knew it would crack with the dry sorrow that was constricting her throat.

"If you stay," he said quietly.

She shook her head. "No, I can't—"

"Rei—"

"What else do you want from me, Tyki?" she screamed, wounded, finally, her voice had given way and she was unable to hold herself back for any longer. "You're driving me insane! I'm not okay! I'm not okay with you knowing the truth and still doing so much shit—I'm not okay with you sleeping with Mira—I'm not okay with what I've done to Kanda—I'd rather be away from you, Tyki, miserable a hundred percent of the time, than to be next to you and feeling happy only one percent and deranged the rest—just…just—" She breathed in shakily, looking away from him and blinking rapidly. She hadn't meant for it to turn to her. "Just…please go to rehab. Please…please be okay."

Her throat constricted so tightly that it hurt—she swallowed and turned away.

"That's all. If you…happen to see my dad…" She shuddered, and it wasn't from the cold, "let him know I'm looking for him."

"…Rei?" said Tyki. She didn't look at him.

"Go to rehab, okay?" she said with a weak smile. "I'll be around for a little while longer—let me know if you need anything."

But those were false words—she didn't even want to listen to what he had to say next, and she had already turned away and she wondered if he was saying anything but she knew that in moments like these, Tyki never said anything, because they were too lost and didn't know where else they were supposed to go, and then her feet carried her down the stairs and she was out onto the streets—snow was still falling but it had lessened now—the streets were empty except for the occasionally daring car and the sound of her heels hitting the crisp snow.

She didn't know where to go. There was nowhere she _could_ go—it was just her, her heels, the cold, London, the river, memories and the footprints she was leaving behind. She inhaled, glad her face was dry, and wondered if she had resolved anything, and if she had, why did it feel so bad—why did she feel nauseous, empty, yearning for something she was unsure she ever had—and she was supposed to reconcile with Mira, with Kanda, Lavi, Eiji—but always her thoughts turned back to Tyki, an obsession, an omniscient guilt—

She wandered aimlessly, guided by the flickering street lights and the glistening reflection of the pure white surface she would maul with her path. One block, two blocks, three that she crossed to leave behind Tyki but couldn't.

Rei heard the sound of a car approaching, and had she been more attentive, she would've found it strange to hear it accelerating so quickly, but she didn't even look back as it neared her. Only when she heard it screech to a halt, and then the sound of the door slamming did she look back dully. She squinted in the face of the headlights, unsure if she was supposed to keep going, but then…maybe it was Tyki, but she didn't know she wanted to see Tyki, so…

"Kanda?"

"Rei Matsumomo?"

It was a voice that she didn't recognize and she immediately stiffened. She retreated a few steps, her heartbeat accelerating.

"Who is it?

There was no answer, but a dark profile came out from the car, and she knew by instinct that it was someone she didn't want to associate with. Rei reached into her bag for her phone and dialed for the first number she could on her speed dial—she pressed the call and saw it connecting but didn't have time to bring it to her ear because the figure was drawing closer—and then she was utilizing the leg muscle she thought had atrophied and died over the last four years—but she didn't get far—there was someone else in front of her, and she didn't have much time to think after that because someone's arm came slinking around her and a scream curled to her throat but a cloth over her mouth stifled it and the world went black and she hadn't even had a second to process.

* * *

His phone rang, again and again, and it was only for the sake of distraction that he picked up to see who it was.

It was Rei.

Immediately, Tyki brought it to his ear—in so many ways, her departure had unsettled him, he did not feel right, he had not had enough of that embrace—

"Rei?"

And he heard, barely, the beginnings of a high pitched noise, a…a scream? His blood ran cold.

"Rei?" he said, more urgently.

There was a rustling sound, and then he heard breaths, which relieved him.

"Rei?" he said again. "Where are—"

"I assume this is Tyki Mikk of the Portuguese royal family," said a voice that Tyki didn't recognize.

He froze.

"I advise you get in contact with Miss Lulubell and Eiji Matsumomo," the stranger said silkily. "You should be familiar enough with these situations to know what to expect—no interference, no danger. You'll hear from us soon."

* * *

"What the hell…" muttered Kanda as he waited in his car, staring at his phone. Leila had texted him to ask to meet in the garage, but she was nowhere in sight even after he'd waited for ten minutes. It didn't help that he was already beyond irritated—Rei and her—he didn't even want to think about it.

The passenger door opened, much to his relief, and he turned to her.

"What the hell took you so long—"

Except it wasn't Leila. Kanda stared at the barrel of a gun that was indecorously pointed in his direction—and the holder of it was none other than…

"You," he said, thunderstruck.

"It'd be in your best interest to listen to me, Yuu Kanda," smirked Lulubell.

The backdoor opened and in climbed another familiar face—

"What the hell…"

"My husband," said Lulu. "Rei's father. But you know that already."

"What the hell are you two playing at?" he said angrily.

"Oh, nothing much," she smiled. "We're only after your life, which we're supposed to dispose of in the most unsuspicious way possible—preferably by locking you in here and letting you die of carbon monoxide poisoning."

"Why—"

"Leverrier is still after you," said Rei's father.

"What the hell—_that old man?_" snapped Kanda. "What the fuck is he so hell-bent about—anything I knew from back when I was a kid doesn't even apply to the yakuza now—I don't even _live_ in Japan anymore!"

"He only left you alone for the last four years by my request…and by extension, Rei's," said Eiji.

Kanda stilled. "What?"

"She really didn't tell anybody," said Lulu.

"Tell anybody what?"

"Why she left," said Lulu.

Kanda snorted despite the fact that death stood two inches away from his nose. "I've only been trying to figure that out for the last month—but why do you two—"

"I killed Kate Schrodlich," intoned Eiji.

Kanda froze. Seizing advantage of Kanda's silence, Eiji continued.

"Four years ago, I collaborated with the yakuza—in order to make sure that they would no longer pursue Rei, I agreed to kill you. That night, I mistook Kate for you and…the one who pulled the trigger to kill Kate was me. The one who shot the car's tire and caused it to hydroplane was one of Leverrier's men. Rei found out and, after promising that she would renounce everything she ever was as my daughter, disappeared. Her main…request, threat…was that I was not to lay a hand on you."

"That's really not applying now, is it?" said Kanda through gritted teeth.

"…Leverrier lost sight of Rei, just as we all had. But when she came back…so did he, with renewed vigor…and now the deal is back and—"

A cell phone ring tone interrupted him midsentence. Lulu looked down at her pocket and shifted her gun to her left hand.

"A moment," she said pleasantly. "Oh, it's Tyki. Hello—"

Her sentence ended immediately—Kanda noticed her face pale and considered knocking the gun out of her hand and turning it on Eiji, but then Lulu spoke again.

"Tyki, calm down—"

The voice on the other end was so loud that even Kanda could hear it.

"_Calm down_? You want me to fucking calm down? What are you and your fucking husband doing—_where is she_?"

"I don't know, Tyki," said Lulu, "this isn't something we planned—"

"_Who is it?"_

"We don't—"

"What's going on?" said Eiji sternly.

Lulu hesitated and covered the receiver.

"It's Tyki," she said quietly, "and…it's Rei. He says she's been kidnapped."

* * *

"Tyki, calm—"

"Shut up, Lulu. What the fuck did you do?"

"This isn't something—"

"Why are you with Kanda?"

"We—"

"They want to kill me," said Kanda, "in case you couldn't tell."

Tyki slammed the apartment door behind him and the four of them converged in the living room. His phone was placed on the table like a revered item from God—he glared at all three of them.

"Why?" he demanded.

"It's a long story," began Lulu.

"You know what happened four years ago," said Kanda swiftly. "Rei's dad killed Schrodlich. He's back to finish the job—that was the deal, anyway, but it's Leverrier—he's backstabbed them—"

"_Where is he_?" said Tyki lividly.

"We don't know," said Lulu in a low voice. "Tyki, calm down, he'll call—when he does, do _not_ say that you've contacted us—"

"Why?"

"I have a plan—I'll explain in a second—"

The phone rang, drawing up Rei's name on the screen. Tyki made a movement to answer it instantly, but Lulu intervened.

"Put it on speaker," she said, "and don't say that we're here."

"Give me one damn good reason I should trust you," he snarled.

"Please," said Lulu evenly.

Tyki gritted his teeth and tapped the "Answer" button on the screen. A crackling static emitted into the room, where all of them waited with bated breath.

"…Rei?" said Tyki finally.

"She's here," said a smooth, snide voice.

"Who the hell are you?" he snapped.

"Oh, you didn't call your sister? You would know—"

"I don't exactly trust my sister," said Tyki callously. "Who are you?"

"We're acquainted…I am Malcolm C. Leverrier, with whom your family does business occasionally."

"Cut the shit. Where's Rei?"

"Why, here of course. Here, Rei, why don't you say something to your very worried friend?"

A silence followed.

"Hm, not exactly responsive," said Leverrier.

A slapping sound resounded and Tyki's heart rate jumped with it. Shallow breaths caused the static sound to amplify and blow louder. He knew it was her—that was enough—

"Don't—"

"She is very quiet," mused Leverrier. "But…how are you going to believe me if she doesn't respond—"

"No," he said, almost frantic, "it's enough—"

But there wasn't anything he could do to stop the loud, sickening snap or the high-pitched scream that instantaneously followed—it was cut short, almost like it had been reined in out of sheer will-power, but the shallow breaths had become sobs—across the table, Kanda's face had gone bloodless and his fist was clenched so tightly that the veins protruded from his skin but he didn't say anything, held his tongue, it looked like he was biting it—

"There we go," said Leverrier, pleased. "Well, do you have anything to say, Miss Matsumomo?"

"That's enough," said Tyki. "That's enough, don't touch her—"

"It seems you are quite interested in her well-being, Mr. Mikk. It's a pity you have not contacted Eiji because it seems like he's the one I want next, but I will contact him of my own accord after he has done what I've asked—now, Mr. Mikk, I have a question that I'm sure you have the answer to: who is the one who killed Howard Link?"

The name rang a faint bell, and suddenly Tyki was submerged in the events of that day in the amusement park—running, up the stairs, so many flights, edge of the corner and then there was a sniper, and Rei had come two steps closer to death—

Lulu was mouthing, "Don't say anything" but Tyki wasn't paying attention. He knew who Howard Link was—and he knew who had killed him—

"I'm assuming it was Eiji, so that's why I want him next," Leverrier was saying.

"No," said Tyki. All the blood was rushing into his head—he could hear the sin from so long pound mercilessly against his temples. "No, it was me. I was the one who did it."

There was not an immediate response from the cell phone.

"…I had heard rumors," said Leverrier slowly, "that you had once been a part of the Spanish Mafia, but…it seemed like you weren't active…it seems I was mistaken. Well, then, Mr. Mikk, even better. The one I want is you—if you would like to see Miss Matsumomo alive and…well, with one wrist broken but it's better than dead, you'd best meet us on London Bridge in…let's say an hour. If you don't show, well then, you can assume the worst."

"And are you going to let her go once I come?" he asked steadily.

Leverrier chuckled. "It depends. That's a gamble you'll have to take, Mr. Mikk. Show up, she has a chance. Don't…well, there really was never much of a chance to begin with."

There was another laugh.

"Well then…I look forward to seeing you soon, Mr. Mikk."

The call ended.


	55. Blackest Night

**Chapter 12: Blackest Night **

There was a deadened silence after the phone call. It was all they were capable of, this numbness, a disbelief for the absurdity of it all, the kind of stunned silence that occurred when options were minimal and the only thing they could do was hope that it was a nightmare of some sort.

"…A fine dilemma you've gotten us into," said Tyki at long last.

Lulu glanced at him. "…This isn't what we'd anticipated."

Tyki let out a mirthless chuckle. "How long have you been in this business, Lulu? Surely you didn't expect anything else from someone like Leverrier? Are you that stupid?"

"Mikk—" began Eiji.

"And you," he interjected, "did you really not get Rei's message four years ago? I'm certain it was something along the lines of 'touch Kanda and I'll send you to hell.' Good to see that it clearly hasn't had any impact on you."

"Leverrier made a deal, that if we got rid of Kanda then Rei would be left alone for the rest of her life—"

"Wow," said Tyki coldly, "that worked out brilliantly."

No one retorted. Tyki stood up, pushing his chair across the kitchen tiles so that it elicited a ringing shriek. He glared at the clock, vice of his being.

"You're not going," said Lulu sharply. "He'll kill you the moment he sees you—"

"Give me a better option, Lulu—"

"I'd rather see _her_dead than you," she snapped.

Eiji looked at her warningly but his glare was lost on her; Lulu's gaze was fixated on Tyki.

"Don't go," she said.

"You're really rusting, Lulu," said Tyki. "Getting sentimental, aren't you?"

"I—"

"I'm not stupid," said Tyki. "I'm not going to go. Didn't you say you had a plan?"

Relief filled her face. "Yes, we were supposed to have gotten rid of Kanda—once Leverrier contacts Eiji, we'll say that we did the job and that we want to meet him—when he leaves, we can follow him to wherever he's hiding out."

There were gaping holes in the plan, the most obvious of which was their heavy reliance on Leverrier's naïveté, but Lulu looked so determined that Tyki offered a mere half-smirk.

"I see. And if he asks for proof that Kanda's dead?"

"We tossed the body in the river," said Lulu stonily.

"Why don't you just track her cell phone?" said Kanda.

They all stared at him.

"What," he deadpanned. "Don't you have a base that has that equipment, or is your place too decked out with other shit that you don't have anything remotely useful—"

"We have a base that may be useful. I'll head over," said Lulu, standing up. "I—"

A ring tone cut her off. Eiji reached into his pocket and laid his cell phone on the table.

"Same procedure," he said. "No one say a word."

He answered the call and turned it to speaker phone.

"Hello, Eiji," said Leverrier's voice.

"Job's done," said Eiji hoarsely.

"Excellent…"

"Now, keep your end of the deal and get out of London—"

"Hold on," said Leverrier silkily, "don't be so hasty. There are a few things I'd still like to work out with you."

"Meaning?"

"Well…we have your daughter. Rei."

"…What is the meaning of this, Leverrier?"

"Calm down, my dear man. I was initially after you, but…well, things have changed. Now that Yuu Kanda is dead—"

"What?"

The sudden appearance of Rei's voice caused all of them to stiffen.

"…What did you just say?"

Her words came out as a rush, one violent effort to stifle the pain she was obviously feeling. Across the table, Kanda's jaw visibly tightened.

"Oh…I was unaware you were oh-so-keenly listening, Miss Matsumomo."

"What about Kanda—what…"

"Well, if your father is telling the truth…Yuu Kanda is dead."

"…He's lying."

"If you have your best interests at heart, Miss Matsumomo, you should hope that he's not."

"He's…lying, it's…" A ragged intake of breath. "It's impossible, I…just saw him, Kanda, I…"

"Well, Eiji?" said Leverrier. "Why don't you say it again for your daughter?"

"Release her, Leverrier."

"Unfortunately, I cannot. I now require Tyki Mikk—that is, if he's telling the truth, and he was the one who killed Howard Link. If it was you, though…well, regardless, I cannot release Rei. If you would like to find her, though, I bid you welcome—just bring Kanda's body in the meantime."

"And where would I meet you?" said Eiji through gritted teeth.

"I have to get my hands on Tyki Mikk first. I'll send someone your way in three hours—in the salon we met at when I first arrived. That should give me ample time. And remember: no external interference, Leverrier. We wouldn't want to see your daughter riddled with holes, would we?"

Silence fell consequently; Eiji took the phone and stuffed it back in his pocket.

"Three hours is too long," he said tersely. "Lulu will return to the base here in London and see what she can find—in the meantime, Kanda—"

"What," he said, cold and pale, "you're going to kill me now so you have a body to show?"

"It will be unnecessary," said Eiji smoothly. "Tyki—"

They looked up, around, behind them.

"…Tyki!" called Lulu, alarmed.

There was no answer, but a whooshing sound, accompanied by frigid air perforating into the room, made their stomachs drop—they left the living room for the front of the apartment and sure enough, the door was swinging open, he had disappeared without them noticing. They had been too enraptured with their worries, and now—

"He can't have," said Lulu, her face bloodless.

"There is still time," said Eiji urgently, "he still has nearly forty-five minutes until the hour mark—"

"You guys figure that out," snarled Kanda, standing up to leave. "While you all freak out about Mikk, I'm going to contact Bookman—"

"He said no interference," said Lulu.

"Are you an idiot?" snapped Kanda. "Who the hell do you think you're dealing with? The moment Mikk waltzes into their arms, Leverrier's not going to need anything else—he truthfully doesn't care if I'm dead or not—Howard Link was his right-hand man; all he wants is to avenge him and Mikk is going to give him precisely the means to that end. Leverrier doesn't need Rei other than as leverage—the instant Mikk appears, Rei's as good as dead, and as sorry as I am to hear that Mikk is going to get shot right in the head for his stupidity—"

"Kanda Yuu," said Lulu in all her suppressed lividness.

"I don't give a fuck about Mikk," said Kanda dangerously. "So while you guys focus on him, I'm going to get your fucking daughter out of this mess, Matsumomo, because after four fucking years you've learned absolutely nothing about what it means to actually care about your daughter."

* * *

Mira started her slow journey home, first aimlessly and numb, but as the cold began to bite at her face and jostle her back into reality, she realized that it was incredibly unsafe for her to be walking alone in a relatively deserted part of the city, alone, and admittedly lost.

She pulled out her phone to call a cab, but before she did, a flashy red car pulled up to her. Again, she found herself hoping it was Tyki, but, as expected, it wasn't.

"It's pretty late for a girl like you to be walking alone," called Lavi as his window rolled down.

Mira afforded a wry smile. "Are you stalking me?"

"I would never," he said, feigning an offended expression. "I was merely in the neighborhood and saw a beautiful girl walking alone—I couldn't just ignore that."

She didn't answer, causing Lavi's expression to grow more somber.

"Why don't you get in?" he said lightly.

"…Depends where you'll take me."

"Depends where you want to go."

Mira paused only briefly before climbing in the car. As Lavi resumed his ride down the newly salted streets, Mira let out a long breath and curled up in the seat.

"Figured things out?" he asked after a respectful wait.

"I didn't have much of a say in it at all," she said after a momentary silence. "You were right—he's always been waiting for Rei."

"…You okay?"

Mira laughed hollowly. "Yeah. No. I'm not. But I'll get over it."

Lavi looked at her questionably, as if asking her to elaborate, but Mira shook her head.

"…I lost sight of a lot of things because I…liked him," she said. "He's…just that way. But the person I am around him…isn't the person I want to be. I want to be that strong, modern, independent woman at the forefront of change. Being around him doesn't encourage that…it's like fighting in quicksand. The more you want to move, the more you'll sink. No way out." She heaved a sigh. "I wonder if Rei feels the same way…if that's why she kept leaving, but she keeps coming back too. It makes me think…"

She stopped here, a near insult on the tip of her tongue because she could not deny the resentment she felt when she thought of Rei.

"That she has no self-respect?" guessed Lavi.

Mira looked his way, surprised. He grinned wryly.

"Believe me, this is something I've thought about too often," he said. "I think it can come off that way—but at the same time, it's not like I can claim to be guiltless. I've always been trying to push her back to him."

"Why?"

Lavi shrugged. "Because it always seems like Mikk needs her."

"…But what about Kanda?"

Again, a shrug. "He's more stable than Mikk is. He doesn't…he doesn't _need_ her the way Mikk does—it's just a matter of that strange chemistry lingering between them. Like it feels, I don't know…right or something." Lavi stretched slightly in his seat. "But that's really not the point right now. I've done enough—probably too much—and it's more or less up to the three of them now. I don't know what Rei's thinking but—"

A loud vibrating sound, followed by an outburst of Pachabel's Canon, cut off his sentence. Mira arched an eyebrow.

"Canon in D? Really?" she said disparagingly.

"What, too generic for you?"

"It's only played at every fucking wedding."

Lavi scoffed and answered his phone. "Bookman here."

He seemed to be listening absentmindedly for a few seconds, but then the car swerved and screeched to a sudden halt that threw Mira violently against her seatbelt.

"What the hell, Bookman—"

"When?" he demanded.

Mira looked at him peculiarly. "What's going—"

He motioned for her to be quiet, and it was only in respect of his expression—panicked, anxious, concentrated—that she remained silent.

"…He left?" said Lavi hoarsely.

A pause as he listened, and then a slight nod.

"Right, I'll see what I can do—meet you…_Illusion_? You have stuff there? Yo, man, are you _safe_ just driving around—fine, all right," he said sharply, "priorities. I'm on my way."

Mira stared at him as he hung up.

"What's going on?"

"Rei's been kidnapped," he said tersely, pulling back onto the road at breakneck speed.

It took a few seconds for it to sink in. "_What_?"

"It's a long story," said Lavi. "Point is, they want Mikk—"

"_Who__'__s__ '__they__'_?"

Lavi winced. "The…er…combination of a London underground criminal organization and the Japanese yakuza."

Mira stared. "_Why_?"

"Long story," said Lavi again. "They want Mikk, he went like a dumbass, and no one knows where they are—we're meeting Kanda at _Illusion_ to see if we can do something because he, funnily enough, has supercomputers at his company and we can probably find something there—in the meantime, you should probably stick with me for safekeeping. It's going to be a long night."

* * *

Broken bones took only a few minutes to reseal before they had to be broken again for proper healing. Rei's wrist was far past that stage by now, but it was the last thing on her mind as she remained alone in a room of some unidentified warehouse somewhere in the middle of nowhere. The pain jolted in and out of her arm, from her wrist to her shoulder, but it wasn't something she could focus on, no matter how distracting it was.

She was not so gullible as to actually believe that Kanda was dead. Or perhaps she merely refused to believe something so unfathomable—Kanda, dead? The thought was nearly laughable. Kanda, in so many ways, seemed more indestructible than Tyki ever was.

She could not pretend, though, that she was not rattled by the thought. Was Eiji really still doing this? After Kate, after the last four years…

The last four years had been so stupid. She had been a fool to ever believe that Eiji genuinely cared for what she thought or how she'd acted—if her survival was his sole responsibility, then what was her approval for his actions worth? He had no conscience, and Kanda meant nothing to him, no matter how much he meant to Rei.

And then there was Tyki.

Rei let out a shallow breath, ignoring the beads of perspiration that were rolling down the sides of her face. She felt slightly sick, feverish, and wanted nothing better than to fall asleep. It was not an option. She knew innately that Tyki would do whatever Leverrier wanted—the idiot. She had an hour. Trying to escape was a stupid idea, but at least it was one; she had no other options.

Rei had slid off her shoes and kicked them to her bound wrists. The stiletto's heel could serve as an edge that she could try and cut the ropes with. As for what she would do after that…she grimaced. It would be up to improvisation.

The minutes ticked by slowly. She was grateful that her captors left her alone; she could see a shadow walking back and forth, just one. When Leverrier had spoken with her—that hawk-like bastard in all his superiority and callousness—he had been accompanied by two other men. Rei could not imagine that Leverrier himself would be patrolling, so if she could just take down one person…

She smiled ruefully. To think that everything she had worked so hard not to be, how hard she'd tried to stop being a bodyguard…it was ironic. Once she got out…if she got out—she gritted her teeth as she accidentally shoved the heel against her broken wrist and sent an excruciating pain through her left arm. If she got out, she would start working out again. Spiting Eiji was not worth giving up her only control over her survival…

She moved the ropes incessantly against the heel. It was like shaving bark off a tree with a pocketknife. Agonizingly slow.

She wanted a clock.

But maybe she didn't. Ignorance removed the prospect of death several times over.

* * *

"Do tell me," said Leverrier, tapping the table in front of him, "how is it that _infamous_ playboy Tyki Mikk would come _prior_ to the one hour mark to supposedly save a former lover? Is your dedication so strong—or should I say, pathetic?"

Tyki smirked wryly and dropped his cigarette to the ground.

"Your men are rather kind," he said, glancing backward at the two men behind him as he smothered the dying flame on the stick. "They didn't blindfold me and even let me smoke in the car."

"Common courtesy, of course. We have nothing to lose."

"And everything to gain," agreed Tyki.

Leverrier only smiled cryptically.

"So where is she?" Tyki asked calmly.

"Not in this room," said Leverrier pleasantly.

"I can see that," said Tyki evenly, "which is precisely why I asked."

"Hasty, aren't we?"

"I'd like to see her."

"So what? You can tell her some affectionate yet empty words about helping the both of you leave?"

"No, it's a message slightly more substantial," said Tyki dryly. "I assure you, no foul play involved. You, after all, have everything to gain and nothing to lose."

Leverrier shrugged and stood up.

"Very well," he said. "Madarao, Tokusa, let's go."

Tyki followed them out of the room and down a large, dimly lit hallway. Outside the last room on the left stood a young female with wavy blonde hair—she did not look above twenty.

"Tewaku," said Leverrier. "How is everything?"

"Quiet," was the mellow reply. "She's not doing anything stupid. It almost looks like she's sleeping."

Tyki would've been incredibly impressed if Rei was just _sleeping_ and decided not to voice that in her situation, sitting quietly was the last thing she would do.

Leverrier opened the door; the rest of them followed him in. Rei was sitting against a pillar on the left side of the room. The clear startled response from her when she saw Tyki made it evident that she had not been expecting him.

"What are you doing?" she said.

"Did you think I would leave you all by yourself?" he said ironically.

"No, it's—there's no way it's been an hour," she said, panting slightly.

"…I think it has been," said Tyki.

"No—it would take you at least half an hour to _get_ here, that's what I felt—"

"You were conscious for the car ride?" said Tyki, surprised. "Why didn't you do anything?"

"Like what?" she snapped. "Kick open a car door?"

"Yes," he said mildly.

"I haven't worked out in years—"

"A fine dilemma your pettiness has landed you in," he said. "Lesson learned, I suppose? Don't get all huffy and disappear for four years after your dad kills your best friend?"

Rei glared at him.

"Was this your substantial message?" said Leverrier deprecatingly.

"No, not really," said Tyki. "I suppose it was rather substantial though. That pretty much just summarized what I've thought of her for the last four years. That being said…" Tyki stretched his arms slightly. "Substantial message. Oh. Right. Kanda's still alive."

There was a stunned silence. It was an superb situation to take advantage of. Tyki whirled around and punched the nearest person to him—Madarao? Tokusa? It didn't matter, for there was a wonderful crunching sound when Tyki's fist connected with his victim's nose and then all hell broke loose—the element of surprise was excellent but unfortunately only worked once. Leverrier's men were highly trained and it took only a split second for a gun barrel to dig into the back of his head.

"Relax, relax," said Tyki, holding his hands up in surrender. "I was just having some fun."

"Should've expected nothing less," spat Tewaku, who was jamming the gun to his head with surprising ferocity. "Noah always play dirty."

"That's enough, Tewaku," said the man whose nose Tyki had broken. He grimaced as he pushed it into place and shook the blood off his face before straightening up to face Tyki. "I'll take care of him." "Madarao—"

"Listen to your brother, Tewaku," said the other male who could only be Tokusa. "He's been looking forward to this for a while, anyway."

Tewaku let out an angry hiss and removed the gun. Tyki looked around.

"So what's going on?" he asked enjoyably.

"Howard Link was like a brother to me," said Madarao. "I look forward to dealing retribution."

"Ah. Link. See, about that, there's this misunderstanding—"

He did not have the opportunity to finish his sentence before a heavy blow crashed against the side of his face; his head exploded with pain as, winded, he fell back a few steps, blinking black dots out of his eyes. He thought he heard Rei scream—but maybe not, because when he straightened up, he saw her face, bloodless and frightened, but not without composure. Perhaps she was more coldhearted than he thought.

"Great," muttered Tyki, touching his jaw tenderly. The slightest brush renewed the pain with throbbing vigor. "Could we release her before this gets out of hand?"

"I think you know that we never had that intention," said Leverrier smoothly.

Tyki scoffed. "It was worth a shot. Let's take this outside, shall we?"

"You wouldn't like her to watch and offer moral support?"

"Men and their pride, right?"

Leverrier beckoned for them to leave, but not before he turned to Rei.

"No final words for him?" he asked.

"…None whatsoever," said Rei, her voice raspy.

Leverrier looked between the two of them. "Odd relationship you two have. You certain she was worth coming for?"

Tyki shrugged. "I don't think I could quite live it down if I left her to die."

The moment they stepped out and the door shut behind them, someone grabbed Tyki's arms and pulled them behind while another fist collided with the side of his face; he felt the blow and then the doubled wave of pain that seized his head and rattled it voraciously—the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth and he spat it out. Something white and cubed fell out. His tongue unconsciously ran over his teeth and dipped down into a gap at the end of the row.

"So much for your bravado," he said breathlessly.

"How would we survive if we didn't play dirty, too?" sneered Tokusa from behind. "We can't compare to you Noah though, willing to strike deals with anyone as long as it gets the job done."

"Take it to the main room," said Leverrier. Tyki could see his footsteps leading the way. "He has a nice face, I'm sure you three have noticed. I wouldn't mind seeing it marked up a bit by the end."

* * *

"What kind of place like this exists in a fashion company—"

"Save your fascination, woman," said Kanda as Mira and Lavi came running into the computer base under the main floor of the building. "Bookman, here." He tossed something at Lavi.

"What is it?" said Lavi, examining it briefly.

"Manual."

"To what?"

"…The computers."

Lavi stared. "You have _supercomputers_ that cost a fortune under your company and you don't even know how to use them?"

"That's what you're here for, dimwit," said Kanda sourly. "You guys took ages to get here—we're already past the hour mark and for all we know, they could be dead."

"Here," said Lavi exasperatedly, dragging up a chair and pulling in front of a few large screens. "I've actually played on these before—"

"These are American-made!" said Mira, aghast. "Oak Ridge, no less! How do you have—"

"Connections," said Kanda shortly.

"Gramps," said Lavi at the same time. "Here, hang on…okay, what am I doing?"

"Track Rei's phone."

Ten minutes of ensued silence punctuated by tapping keys.

"Can't," said Lavi tersely.

Kanda did not ask for a reason.

"Mikk's."

"Already on it." Another long pause. "Can't."

Kanda nearly hissed. Mira saw his eyes flash up to the clock before looking back at the screens that both of them knew nothing about.

"I'm out of options," said Kanda.

"Man, you suck," sighed Lavi, dragging up camera images. "Rei couldn't have been far from Mikk's house—if we just…"

A ring-tone interrupted Lavi. Kanda looked down at his phone and scowled before answering it.

"What?" he said.

Mira just looked on as Lavi continued to pull screens up. Uselessness—a feeling she was not accustomed—began to seep into her. Why did book-smarts never get her as far as she needed them to take her? What, indeed, could she do in a situation like this—Rei was kidnapped and Tyki

"WS24KDT?" said Kanda. "Bookman—"

"Already got it," said Lavi, searching the license plate. "Is that all they've gotten?"

"Is that all you have?" said Kanda into the phone. "…Seriously? Fine."

He hung up without another word.

"Noah?" said Lavi.

"Her dad. Bastard, each and every one of them."

"Drop it for now," said Lavi shortly. "I'm not going to be able to control myself if we keep talking about him."

Kanda glanced in Lavi's direction but said nothing, letting the pressurized concentration filter in the room and allowing Lavi his space. Mira shifted nervously, thinking—what if Rei and Tyki both—no, that was just impossible, so stupid, so stupid, get a grip on yourself.

"It's going to take too long," said Lavi finally. "Tracking the car based on cameras is too slow—we won't get the location in time if we're just narrowing down the ranges."

"Try anyway," said Kanda curtly. "It's the only thing we can do. The Noah are useless; I don't know who they have but—"

"What if you track the car's GPS system?" said Mira abruptly. "Take the license plate and find the insurance company—if it has a GPS system—"

"Makes sense," said Lavi. "Guess your Harvard brain is good for something."

Mira scowled. "Thanks."

She did not retort any more than that to let Lavi regain his concentration. It took longer, this time, with a few wasted precious minutes making the call to the insurance company and waiting for the machine to redirect them to an actual representative. Kanda nearly broke Lavi's phone in half when they were told that they had no right to access the location of the insured vehicle, and it was only after much roundabout arguing—mostly Kanda shouting and Lavi coolly demanding the information—before the representative finally realized that it was no joking matter and advised them to contact the police.

"Call the fucking police then," snapped Kanda. "In the meantime, get us the fucking address before we all get fucked over—"

"Language, Kanda," said Lavi under his breath. "If you could send us the address—it'll be faster if we can get there first—"

"Sir, all kidnapping cases should be handled by the police—"

"WOMAN!"

"Sir, I do not appreciate being shouted at—"

"Please," said Kanda with utter resent and bitterness.

Lavi looked at him briefly before he said, "Miss? We'd appreciate the address."

"…Very well," said the woman reluctantly, "but if I get fired—"

"I'll hire you for your excellent discretion and customer service," smiled Lavi.

"What customer service," muttered Kanda. Lavi hit him.

"Very well, I'm sending the address to your provided email address…"

"Thanks," said Lavi, hanging up.

Kanda let out a long breath. Lavi looked up at him.

"You okay, mate?"

"Just work," Kanda said grimly.

"…Look, they're fine—"

"Shut up and get the address, Bookman."

Lavi shook his head and pulled up his email address. Mira briefly saw that he had over 30,000 unread messages.

"Got it," said Lavi, squinting despite the fact that the screen spanned the wall. "They're far—it'll take us around half an hour—"

"Let's go," said Kanda, already taking his keys and heading out the door. Lavi followed suit.

"Don't you need to write down the address?" Mira blanched.

"Already have it memorized."

"What—"

"Photographic memory," said Lavi, tapping his head. "Remember the Vogue interview?"

She hated smart people.

* * *

"_WHAT_?"

Lavi rubbed his temples as he adjusted the volume of the speaker phone.

"Allen, calm down—"

"WHY IS THIS—"

"SHUT UP!" bellowed Kanda. "You're going to fuck up my driving—we've already got the address, we're on our way—we've told her stupid dad—"

"Have you called the police?" said Allen sharply.

"Dunno if we should," said Lavi.

"Of course you should!" he exclaimed. "What the hell—shouldn't this have been a priority?"

"Business like this doesn't worry that way."

"Too bad," said Allen angrily, "I'm calling and…and…_holy __shit_, what if they _die_—"

Kanda had been rather impressed with his overall handle of the situation and was appreciative that neither other occupant in the car was flipping a shit either. Allen was not helping.

"Fucking little ray of sunshine, aren't you," Kanda muttered.

He accelerated.

* * *

She didn't know how much time had passed.

She had just a little bit left. The scraping had taken so painstakingly long, but she wasn't complaining—she was just glad it had worked at all. Rei held her breath as she reached the final stretch, just one more strand—in her eagerness, her weak hold on the heel slipped and it went jabbing into her limp left hand. Rei gasped, reining in the desire to scream. Blinking tears out of her eyes, she readjusted slowly and with one final and excruciating tug, pulled the loosened rope against the heel. There was a satisfying snap and her hands grew free.

Rei stood up gingerly, careful with her injured arm as she let it fall rigidly to her side. The other arm she shook out, hastening the blood flow; judging from the shadows under the door, there was only one person outside. From the sound of the shoes, it was the young girl who looked younger than Rei—still, though, Rei had not worked out in years and this girl looked to be at her prime. She couldn't weigh the odds, though, overwhelming though they were. Who knew how long Tyki would last…

She took one of the pumps and approached the exit slowly and deliberately. It was a rather sad weapon but perhaps she had surprise as well; she wasn't counting on much else.

Rei took a deep breath, reminded herself of the mental note that she would never let herself be this vulnerable again, and slammed the door open.

Tewaku's reaction was immediate. Rei saw a flash of blonde hair only briefly before she felt a hand grip around her throat, tightening as it shoved her against the wall. She did not wait for anything else. Ignoring the pain, she took the heel in her right hand and swung it forward blindly, mildly surprised when she felt it connect, disgusted when she felt it squelch into flesh.

Tewaku gasped and let Rei go, an opening that Rei took advantage of. She pummeled forward, knocking Tewaku off her feet and plunging her good fist as hard as she could into Tewaku's stomach. The effect was pathetic; when such a punch could have knocked someone out cold four years ago, it wouldn't have made Tewaku flinch at all had Rei not hit precisely where her heel had stabbed. Tewaku grimaced and jerked her knee upward, connecting like a boulder straight into Rei's ribcage. A fresh wave of pain hit her as she swore she could hear something crack and a throbbing sensation perforated on her right side. Dazed and temporarily stunned, Rei could only clutch her side in stupor as Tewaku straightened up and aimed another kick; she barely saw it coming and only rolled out of the way as the tip of Tewaku's boot buried itself her other side.

In a split second of physical genius, Rei managed to suppress the universal ache in her body for a brief second and twisted her torso so that her leg went swinging wildly in Tewaku's direction, catching her feet and knocking her back to the ground. Unfortunately, Tewaku went down gracefully; she landed precisely on Rei and brought a hand up to Rei's throat.

"You should probably stay in place," said Tewaku breathlessly.

"Slightly…difficult," panted Rei, "given the situation."

Wordlessly, Tewaku grabbed Rei's left hand and slammed it as hard as she could against the ground. It was impossible to repress the scream—she felt her hand nearly snap again and instinctively jerked up both her knees. It thankfully connected with Tewaku and forced her to roll over; as she did, Rei spotted the gun in her holster and lunged for it. Tewaku didn't seem to notice what Rei was going for, for she only paced away after Rei tugged it out of its holder and, as if she had played with guns for the last four years, cocked it familiarly.

Her aim, however, was tremulous. Standing up was quite possibly the most arduous task she'd ever done. The pain from her throat, her sides, her wrist especially, was starting to cloud her vision. Her breaths came shallowly as she tried to hold the gun as steadily as she could with one hand.

"Give me a break," snarled Tewaku. "You can't even stand, let alone shoot—have you ever even killed someone?"

She found herself smiling. "…No," she breathed. "I haven't. Have you?"

Tewaku looked taken aback by the inquiry.

"No, right?" said Rei. "But your brothers have. And so has Tyki." She breathed in deeply. "I can't see well right now. If I aim for your leg, I might end up shooting your chest. Don't make me start with you."

"You're just going to have to deal with that."

Tewaku moved. Steeling as much concentration that she had, Rei steadied her aim and pulled the trigger; instantaneously, Tewaku fell to the ground with a shrieking gasp. Blood pooled around her collapsed leg as she made a valiant effort to move it but couldn't. Rei didn't take any chances; once again steadying her arm, she slammed deftly down in a chopping motion against the back of Tewaku's neck. It rolled and she fell still, unconscious.

Relieved, Rei left her and began her journey down the hall—it was not terribly long but every step felt like a mile. Near the end, she saw two people approaching and ducked into the shadows of an adjacent hall.

"…He's slightly more resilient than I'd anticipated," said one of them.

"He's immobile, Madarao. I believe Leverrier's going to finish him off, but I think he wants to bring the girl to watch—Tewaku? Tewaku!"

They broke into a run, and right as they passed, Rei smashing the gun as hard as she could down on the one closest to her. It was a low move, but it was effective. He collapsed immediately, but then Tokusa rounded on her, grabbing her and slamming her against the wall. A forceful punch to the stomach followed by another round of pain had her blinking tears and black dots out of her eyes.

"What did you do to Tewaku?" he demanded.

"She's not dead," breathed Rei. "Go check."

"After I've killed you first—"

Rei pulled the trigger blindly. The sound of it was so forceful that it caused her to recoil along with Tokusa, who staggered away, cursing and stopping the blood that was now pouring out of his hip.

"Sorry," she said.

She aimed again and shot twice: one in each leg. Tokusa fell to his knees, and now the routine was rudimentary; Rei slashed the hilt of the gun down against his head and he collapsed as well—was she numb? Her hands were shaking violently now—they weren't dead, were they?

But it wasn't something she should've been thinking about. Staggering now, she hovered against the wall and reached the end of the long hallway where at last she heard Leverrier's sickening voice. Recklessly, she opened the door and entered, feet unsteady, vision blurred, but gun raised.

The first thing she saw was a mess in a chair. Next to it was Leverrier. She looked back to the mess and she felt something inside her twist in the same contusions that marred Tyki's face. It wasn't just the work of fists—she could see the indelicate grazes of knives on his forehead and cheeks. The starched white shirt he'd come in was now torn and dyed in a motley collection of reds and browns; he was limp, his arms dangling at his sides. He looked unconscious, for amidst the blood and bruises, his golden eyes were closed. Rei was thankful—she knew that he would not want her to see him like this, nor did she want him to see her this filled with fury.

"Oh?" said Leverrier, his clothes pristine. "What's this? Where are Tokusa and Madarao?"

"Step away from him," said Rei quietly, her hands trembling out of what, she didn't know—blinding pain or the uncontrollable rage that inundated her—

"You didn't seriously take them out, did you?" he said, surprised.

"Move."

"Come now, I couldn't believe that just a little girl could take all three of them out—"

"I said _move_!" she screamed, and her fingers pulled the trigger without control. She missed—the bullet pelted itself past Leverrier's shoulder and shattered something behind him.

Shivering, she cocked the gun again and hobbled forward.

"Move," she said again.

Leverrier sneered but obliged. Rei found herself standing him and Tyki, a buffer.

"Eiji's taught you well."

"Get on the ground," said Rei.

"Now, child," said Leverrier mockingly, "you don't really think I believe that you can pull that trigger to kill, do you?"

Rei said nothing.

"No, even after seeing your dear Tyki Mikk in such a state, you don't have the _gall_ to kill someone," said Leverrier silkily. "Think of how far you've fallen for him, Rei. I've heard about you before—a bright, upright girl with bodyguard talent and much—perhaps too much—purity. I'm afraid the media paints a much different picture these days."

Leverrier sighed and glanced at the door.

"No one's going to come for you," said Rei. "They're all out cold."

"See? You know, Tokusa and Madarao are the ones who did that to Mikk. You couldn't even kill them—how do you think you could kill me?" Leverrier's sneer widened at her silence. "How about this? I killed Kate Schrödlich."

Rei's fingers froze over the trigger.

Leverrier continued. "Yes, that night, your father was actually the one to shoot the wheel of the car, causing you to crash. He'd, surprisingly enough, missed. I, well, Tokusa actually, was the one to make up for his incompetency, but we'd both mistaken your model friend for Kanda. Details are slightly confusing, but I've replayed it—your father thinks he killed the model, and I didn't bother to correct him. Needless to say, the death of someone so famous led us to remain underground for a while. Shame, though, that in the end, Kanda Yuu is still alive."

"Stop talking."

"Not enough to make you crack? Well, then, what if I said I killed your mother as well?"

"Shut up."

"It was easy, really, a simple car crash—"

"Shut up."

"Very easy to arrange—"

"_SHUT__UP!_"

There was a resounding crack and a resolving grunt on Leverrier's part as the bullet lodged itself into his shoulder—Leverrier doubled over, clutching the wound, and Rei found the adrenaline pumping now, the pain dulled, overridden by anger and a mad desire to harm; she was tired, so, so, tired of being chased by shadows she knew nothing of, she did not want to deal with the piece of shit that was Leverrier, and her father too—she wanted to sleep, she wanted rest, she wanted Tyki to be okay—and at the thought of Tyki's distorted countenance and haggard breaths, she grew incensed, found herself cocking the gun and aiming it with such steady assurance—she knew she could kill him, she _would_, and it would all be over—what did it mean to take a life anyway, she'd lived like the dead for the last four years and it hadn't mattered, and this man was better off dead, the world didn't need him, _she_ didn't need him, she needed Tyki to be okay—

"Well?" said Leverrier, still smirking. "Why don't you aim a little better this time?"

She aimed—this was easy—

"How far will you fall this time for Tyki Mikk?"

"Not far at all, you piece of shit," she snarled. One bullet to the head, that was all it would take, six point five grams of copper and lead was the equivalent to one life, not bad at all—

"…Rei," said a weary, weary voice behind her.

She felt something lean on her back; the weight of Tyki's head was a reassuring one that jarred her back to reality. A hand snaked slowly around her waist and up to her right arm, pulling it lower. She tugged out of his grasp, ignoring him—she didn't want to look at him—she was scared but couldn't admit it—how were they going to get out of this, anyway, if she didn't kill him they couldn't get out—

His hand stubbornly came back and pulled at her arm more insistently this time, reaching for the piece of metal in her hands.

"Don't," he breathed. "…It's enough."

"He's not going to stop," said Rei shakily. "Kate, my mom…" Her hand brushed against his gently, then forced it away as she gripped the hilt of the gun with renewed conviction.

"Quaint," said Leverrier. "But you're just all bark and no bite, Rei. Why don't you let Mikk do it then—cleaning up after you seems to be his favorite pastime, after all."

Rei took in a deep breath. She was not going to last much longer—physically or mentally—her head hurt, she wanted to sleep, something inside of her hurt, she wanted to cry, she wanted it to end—one simple pull, and she would get what she wanted. Was it so bad?

"Rei," said Tyki again, his voice softer, more urgent.

She didn't answer him. With familiar dexterity, actions from long ago, she raised the gun a little steadier, one-handed, her left hand now spiking pain to her head, the right angle, shooting couldn't be half-hearted or else it would backfire, the aim had to be consistent, slightly lower from her left eye's vision—and then it was just a matter of steeling her will—she gritted her teeth, one pull, that was it—she did it, but Tyki pulled her hand down and though the gun vibrated from the force of the shot, she knew that Leverrier would not fall, and in her washed an enormous relief, because she couldn't have done it, she didn't…

But then Leverrier fell. And blood flowed from his head.

And the sounds came filtering to her ears ten seconds too late; the door banging open, and another gun shot, and then the heavy weight of Leverrier's body falling to the ground, and a chill that seized her. Had she done it? How had…

"…You missed, Rei," said Eiji as he stepped closer, the tip of the gun in his hand smoking. Rei turned dumbly to him, all energy sapped from her. She could no longer keep her grip and let her gun fall to the ground with a metallic clack. Never had she been so glad to be rid of something she was so comfortable with.

"The police are on their way," said Eiji gently, "as well as the ambulance that will take you to the hospital. You—"

Rei stopped listening to him, for it was at this point that she found that she no longer cared about anything than Tyki, that if she had killed Leverrier it wouldn't have mattered at all because she would've done it again—she turned to Tyki and kneeled down in front of him.

"Tyki?" she whispered, trembling.

"…Hi, Rei," he said gently, leaning his forehead against hers.

Beneath the contusions, his lips quirked into a smile, and it was at this sight that Rei could no longer hold herself back. The tears began to flow uncontrollably with the suppressed fear and overwhelming anxiety, the realization that she was so lucky to be alive, that Tyki was alive, that Tyki had even bothered coming for her at all. Tyki let out a soft groan as Rei locked her arms around his neck but he did not push her away, or perhaps it was because he was too injured to do anything to resist.

"Don't…cry," he said quietly, before he let out a breath of contained discomfort. "I…I'm fine…"

She did not stop. Couldn't. The sobs raked her body in panic, relief, fear, pain—Tyki's arms, after evident struggle, wrapped around her waist as her sobs grew more uncontrolled, as the shock began to fade and reality began to settle in with all its brute force. Energy, expended, he couldn't manage anything else.

Neither could she.

But it was enough.

* * *

_free talk:_

_i'm so sorry for the wait. life has been, needless to say, busy, and i really hit a dead end with this chapter. perhaps it was too melodramatic, but the act of getting this chapter done has gotten me back on my feet (hopefully, lj later for more.) thank you to all for waiting patiently. _

_i hope everyone has a wonderful thanksgiving. to all those in school, good luck on finals. i won't be updating before finals (haha, i won't be doing anything except sleeping with my biology book), but i think you can anticipate another chapter around christmas time. :) _

_thanks again,_

_xoxo,  
m.n _


	56. Waking Resolves

**Chapter 13: Waking Resolves**

They found them like that, Eiji the only moving figure in the warehouse. Rei did not recall much: she remembered seeing Kanda, Lavi, Mira, remembered an ambulance, but that was it—the rest was an inconceivable blur. Perhaps it was for the better.

She wanted to sleep.

* * *

"…Is this normal?" said Allen anxiously.

"The sleeping?" said Dr. Wexler.

A unanimous nod.

"It's been a few days; the two of them have gone through a severely traumatizing experience. It's possible that in an effort to recover, both mentally and physically, their bodies are focusing on this repair completely and minimizing energy wasted otherwise. In other words, yes, this is a perfectly normal consequence."

"They're not in comas, are they?" said Lenalee.

"For Rei, it's not likely—she seemed to have suffered no head trauma. The wrist and ribs will take a while to mend and she will most likely be on crutches for some time. As for Tyki…it's hard to say. He took a severe beating and almost definitely is concussed; it is rather worrisome that he's sleeping, but given the circumstances, there was nothing to be done. He is being closely monitored though, and will have a few tests conducted after he wakes up to see if his brain is still in working order."

"No worries about that," said Kanda as Dr. Wexler left the room, "his brain was never in working order."

Lenalee hit him lightly.

"Seriously?" she said condescendingly. "He's injured! Mortally wounded! At least have the courtesy—"

"What courtesy," muttered Kanda, leaning against his chair and looking over at Rei's sleeping figure. "If he hadn't gone like an idiot, we would have been able to get her without any issues—"

"Tyki bought you nearly two hours when he was getting tortured," said Lenalee vehemently. "If he wasn't there—"

"I'm kidding, Lenalee," said Kanda dryly. "I get it. He saved Rei. I know."

"Jealous, Kanda?" said Lavi.

"Of looking like _that_?" he said, jerking a hand at the wall that Tyki's room was behind. "Yeah, he's a real looker—real jealous—"

"Kanda," seethed Lenalee.

Kanda shook his head and stood up.

"I'm going for a walk."

He left without another word. As the door slid closed, Lavi let out a sigh.

"Give him a break, Lenalee," he said. "There's no love lost between him and Mikk—of course he sounds utterly unrepentant."

"Any _human__with__feelings_—"

"He doesn't mean it," said Allen wisely. "It's just the way he is—if anyone's worried, it's him, even if he doesn't sound like it. He can't help feeling like part of this is his fault, after everything that…uh…has come out…"

They looked anxiously at Rei, as if hoping she wouldn't wake up, before they continued the conversation in quieter undertones.

"So…what's going to happen to Rei's dad?" said Lenalee.

"Dunno," said Allen. "I mean…he killed someone."

"But it was for Rei and Tyki's protection."

"If you don't happen to remember, he also killed Kate," said Lavi coldly.

"But the police don't know that," said Lenalee, pained. "How are you going to prove it if—"

"Oh, no worries. If that bloody bastard doesn't turn himself in, I'll prove it—I'll be the one prosecuting him—"

"I just can't believe it," said Lenalee. "I don't get it either—Rei didn't have to leave…if she had just moved, or something, I don't even know. I just can't follow her logic."

"I think a part of her…" Allen paused, thinking, as if he wanted the words to come out precisely accurate. "I think a part of her just wanted to prove to herself that she could live alone. You know…not being what her dad made her…or what Mikk did, for that matter. She would've been fine with being a bodyguard, but to find out that the man who taught her everything ended up…well…killing someone close to her? It went against everything she knew about herself." Allen shrugged. "I think she realized it wasn't right, but she needed to try."

"Still…" Lavi let out a breath. "God, I hope they don't subpoena her to testify against her dad. It would just be better for her if they remain unaffiliated."

"We'll see when she wakes," said Lenalee worriedly.

"Optimistic people," said a voice behind them.

They looked at the entrance. Anita, Cross, and Mira entered, carrying with them the strong stench of Chinese takeout.

"Dinner, guys?" said Mira, holding up a giant stack of Styrofoam carry-out boxes.

"_Yes,_" said Allen, his eyes gleaming. "Those are all mine, right?"

"Lesson learned," she shuddered. She had experienced the horror that was Allen's stomach the first night in the hospital when he had actually eaten less than he normally did, given the circumstances, but that "less" was still the equivalent of six people's dinners.

"We've got the rest," said Anita kindly, distributing them. "Where's Kanda?"

"Sulking," said Allen through a mouthful, already devouring half a box. "Hesh feering 'onreey."

"…What?" said Cross in utter disdain.

Allen immediately swallowed his food and cleared his throat, sitting up a little straighter in the sight of Cross's unimpressed expression.

"He's feeling lonely," elucidated Allen.

"Why?" said Cross, scandalized. "There's all of you."

"But we're not _her_," said Lavi, pointing absentmindedly in Rei's direction.

"Subtle, Lavi," said Rei's voice wearily from behind them.

They all jumped a little in their seats as Rei sat up in her bed and cracked her neck.

"Rei!" said Allen, nearly spilling the remnants of his second box. "You're awake! How are you feeling?"

"…Tired," she replied, drawing up her knees and resting her head on them. "…Hurts."

"We better call a doctor," said Mira. She reached for a button on the side of the bed and pressed it. "They should be here soon—what's hurting?"

"…Everywhere…" Rei said, now somewhat white in the face.

"Lay back down," ordered Mira, easing Rei back on the pillows. "You've got a few broken bones and many, many bruises—you're going to have to take it easy."

"Where's Tyki?" said Rei, looking around.

"He's still sleeping."

"As in he hasn't woken up yet?" she said, alarmed.

"No, but the doctors say it's ok—"

"How long has it been?"

"…Four days."

"Is he okay?" said Rei, trying to sit up. Mira pushed her back down.

"He'll be fine…we think. You can't stress yourself—you've been traumatized, if you exacerbate your mental state, things could get much worse—"

"But he was hit—a lot—in the head," said Rei anxiously, "what if he's got a concussion?"

"Rei," said Anita firmly. "Lie down. Go back to sleep. Or eat. Either one—you need to rest. Worrying will not wake him up any faster. The doctors are doing what they can."

"Chinese?" offered Lenalee, holding up her plate.

"No, I'm…I'm good," said Rei weakly, "I'll get something later…" She looked around the room. "Have you all been here the entire time?"

"You don't get overnight visitors," said Lavi, "but we come for all visiting hours, which gives us a good amount of time with you two comatose people. Kanda's here too."

"Kanda?" she said. "Where is he?"

"Here." The door slid open again and Kanda waltzed in, looking slightly windswept as he strode over to her.

For some odd reason, an awkward silence followed. Maybe it was because Kanda looked nearly murderous, and Rei looked very guilty, and no one else knew what had happened between them.

"Look," said Rei, "I woke up when you weren't here, so that means that even when I'm sleeping, my body knows that it doesn't want to be around you—_ow_!"

Kanda had flicked his middle finger in a hard _thwack_ against her forehead.

"That was for getting kidnapped," he deadpanned.

Another _thwack_.

"Kanda!" said Lenalee when Rei winced visibly again. "Would you stop being such a—"

"And that was for everything that happened before you got kidnapped," he said in a low voice, ignoring Lenalee completely.

The room grew still; the rest of them were listening keenly. Kanda did not give them anything more than that—he turned around and inclined his head towards the door.

"All of you," he said, "out."

A tumultuous response followed.

"You can't just kick us out like that—"

"She just woke up—if you do anything to upset her—"

"I want to know what happened—"

"Please," said Kanda stiffly.

The silence was instantaneous. Allen stared, agape, at the fact that the word "please" had come out of Kanda's mouth. Kanda looked morbidly bored and pointed at the door.

"Out."

"That's twice, man," said Lavi in awe. "So when it comes to Rei, you _can_ be polite—"

"Do you want to die?" said Kanda murderously.

"Rei, you know that I've never heard him say _please_, ever—"

"_Out._"

Lavi sniggered but obliged, edging towards the door as the rest of them followed. Kanda waited for their footsteps to die away before he spoke.

"You look terrible, so I'll keep it short," he said. "What are you going to do?"

Rei looked at him, evidently exhausted. "…About what?"

"Us," said Kanda shortly. He paused, then jerked his head to the left at the adjourning room. "And him."

"…I just woke up, Kanda…" she sighed. When he said nothing, she just added, "…You're merciless."

He decided to explain himself. "I've booked a flight to Japan for next month."

Rei stared. "You're going back?"

"Not permanently. It's for business purposes, but I'll be there for a while." Kanda sat down in the chair that Lavi had vacated and crossed his arms. "I'll go ahead and say that you're not invited."

"…Wouldn't have ever assumed that."

"You're injured. You need to stay put for a while." He glared at her. "Which means no New York either."

She gave a cryptic smile. "…How's Tyki doing?"

Kanda's eyes flickered but he answered nonchalantly.

"He doesn't look good. His face was marked up badly." He did not elaborate, for the amount of color in Rei's face was nearing the negatives. "But he'll be fine."

There was a silence, one that Kanda did not bother to turn into an uncomfortable one.

"…Strange, isn't it?" she said quietly. "How our…crucial moments are always after…life-and-death situations?"

Kanda looked at her intently, thinking…a set of memories flashed by—after Kate's funeral that Cross had captured without their consent, then the one that had decided more than he would've thought, when he had chosen Lenalee over Rei in the hospital, and then…he nearly scoffed at the thought of the very first time Rei had proven her bodyguard capabilities to him, when he had known that he actually did care, and let her stay over at his house…how faint those memories were now, how stupid they had been, not knowing that their chance encounter would've led to this…

"…It's been a long time," he said finally.

Rei looked up at him, startled, for he had spoken in Japanese. It looked as if she didn't understand for a second, but then a nostalgia filled her face, and it seemed to relax her. When she replied, it was in her native language as well, but unlike Kanda's, which flowed smoothly and assertively, Rei's Japanese was stilted and hesitant, as if they were words unfamiliar to her, an entire world away.

"Perhaps not the actual amount of time…but we've gone through a lot together. I'll…I'll always be thankful for that. For you." She took in a deep breath. "You know…even if you'd offered for me to go back to Japan with you…I wouldn't have gone. Because Japan…" Rei stopped here; she looked like she was in pain, but not a physical kind of pain— "Ever since I left it, five years ago, I've never wanted to go back to Japan. I've never wanted to speak Japanese. Because to me…Japan represents a very childish me…one who knew nothing. Japan represents things for me that…that don't exist anymore." She smiled faintly. "The times when my only concern was getting into college. When Allen and I were best friends. Otou-san and me." Her eyes closed as she breathed in again. "You and me."

Kanda could not hold in the scoff this time. Rei smiled knowingly.

"But of course," she said, speaking in English again, "you knew this already."

"Yeah," he agreed. "I did. I knew it when you went to go talk to Mikk. I only accepted it when Mikk went to find you like the idiot he is. I accepted because…" Kanda looked at her steadfastly, his blue eyes piercing, "because I wouldn't have done the same thing."

Rei's smile grew gentler. "I know. But…I know it doesn't mean…you didn't care."

"Fuck, of course I cared," he said, nearly angry with himself. "I just didn't understand…why would he just _go_ like that—it didn't help at all! He had plenty of time to wait—_fuck_, he didn't even help you, he just went there and got beaten up like an idiot—and yet—"

Rei placed a hand on his arm, halting his tirade.

"Kanda?" she said softly.

"I don't know…_why_," he snarled, "I don't know why it feels so fucking wrong that I know I wouldn't have done the same thing—"

"Kanda. It's…okay. It's okay. It…it wouldn't have changed anything. The outcome…my decision…to go to New York, it would've remained the same."

"Don't," said Kanda sharply. "Don't go back. You have no reason to—I know everything now, and what your bastard of a dad did doesn't make a fucking difference—"

"I'm going to go back, Kanda."

"_Why_?"

"Kanda, calm down."

"I don't—I can't fucking—"

He reached over and grabbed her roughly by the shoulder; he ignored her wince—he was too frustrated to care, too tired of waiting four days dealing with the possibility that either Mikk was just stupider or actually loved Rei in a way Kanda couldn't understand—he just brought his face close to hers to touch, to kiss, to remember—

But then he froze, just like that time after Kate's funeral, when the desire to kiss Rei had risen up so strongly that it had overwhelmed his sanity, but then at the very last second, it'd disappeared, leaving him…here, suspended, wanting and waiting but not acting, and he realized that he had known this for ages, had known for so long that the prospect of Rei and him was just a thing of the past, memories that no longer existed, a mutual but fruitless hope…

"Che." He let her go. "Do whatever you want."

He looked away from her, realizing the full awkwardness of what he'd just done; the action was undeniable, along with its implications. He wished Rei would stop looking at him with the same kind of knowingness that made him want to squirm—they'd reached their dead-end, but he didn't need the reminder.

"…Are you mad at me, Kanda?" The words sounded childish, even to him.

"…No," he sighed.

He reached up and brushed her cheek lightly, but then the door to their room opened, and Kanda immediately let his hand drop.

"Sorry for the intrusion," Dr. Wexler said in a clipped tone. "I just got the page that Rei was awake—I need to run some checks."

"Right," said Kanda, standing up to leave. "I'll get going—"

He felt her hand brush his, lingering in his curved fingers momentarily. He looked down at her unwillingly; he didn't know where he was going but only knew that the right direction was not towards her.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

Kanda gritted his teeth; he wanted to say something cruel, harsh, just to blow everything off and set them back to the stage where quarrels were eventually overcome in some way…

"It's nothing," he found himself saying with an exhale. "…I'm glad you're alive."

She smiled again. It looked strained.

"…I am too."

* * *

"What do you mean, she's not taking visitors?" said an incredulous Allen the next morning. "We just saw her yesterday!"

"I mean what I said, sir," said the head nurse.

Allen rounded on Kanda. "What did you say to her?"

Kanda shrugged, evidently unsurprised. "How's her condition?" he asked the nurse.

"She is stable; the tests run show proficient mental and physical function. She is to remain in the hospital for an undetermined amount of time, but other than that, she is in good shape."

"Good," said Kanda, turning to leave.

Lavi caught him by the shoulder.

"Mate…" said Lavi, "you really might want to give us an explanation for why Rei's not seeing anyone…"

"She needs time," deadpanned Kanda. "She woke up and all of us were just clamoring around her—after everything, it makes sense she wants to be alone, idiot."

"You sure it's not anything you said—"

"Shut up, Bookman," said Kanda lethally. "Let's go."

* * *

"You certain you don't want to see anyone?" said Dr. Wexler as he took her blood pressure.

"Mm."

"…Very well."

* * *

"Sir, she's not taking visitors."

"I'm her father."

"Even so…" The nurse hesitated. "She is of age. It is her right to remain alone if she wishes."

"She is my daughter. It doesn't mater if she's of age or not—she is my child."

"She is a legal adult."

"But—"

"I'm sorry," said the nurse firmly. "She's an adult. Her decision is final: she doesn't want to see anyone."

* * *

"Your father's been here to see you for the last few days," said Dr. Wexler.

"…Okay."

"He's worried."

"I'm fine."

"He wants to speak with you."

She changed the topic.

"Have Tyki's family been here?"

"…The Portuguese royal family is in uproar," said the doctor. "Their dealings with the Mafia and other illegal underground organizations have been revealed; despite it all, there at least has been one family member here everyday—they simply are choosing to respect your privacy."

"That's unlike them."

Wexler ignored this clear bitterness. "Family will always be family. They won't abandon him."

He let this settle in as he studied the monitors.

"Are you feeling well, Rei?" he said.

"Mm. Just tired."

"Try and rest constantly."

"…It's hard to fall asleep."

Wexler nodded understandingly.

"The experience was a huge stress—are you sure you don't need to speak with a psychologist?"

"I'm fine."

"…Are you sure you don't want to speak with your father?"

She didn't reply. Wexler looked sympathetic.

"Family will always be family," he said again.

She nodded. "I know."

* * *

The wall that separated her and Tyki was one of those items that ceaselessly drew her attention to it. When she was resting, she stared at it; when she was aching from the lack of movement, she would walk around the room, watching it all the while, and then in moments of weakness, late at night and when no one else was around, she would step out of her room and just hover in the hallway. Thinking of what it would be like to go next door and see how he was, hope that he was awake…

She envisioned the scenario countless times—she'd walk over, knock on the door, the low "Come in," and then Tyki would be there, sitting up, awake, normal, alive, and things would just be fine…

But she never did manage to walk over. She only stayed there, one foot out the door and heart on the edge, before her will gave way and she returned to the bed to lie down and ponder.

Pondering was all she did, honestly. When she kept the T.V. off and any visitors out, Rei found herself strikingly alone and pensive. Her exchange with Kanda had been the last bit of communication she'd had with the world outside of the hospital for the past few days; she had needed nothing more because that was it—Kanda and her resolution. Shaky, unfulfilling, lingering question marks, but it was a resolution. They weren't just meant to happen. They hadn't been meant to happen since the very first hospital resolution.

But just because she knew this didn't make her feel any more satisfied. When she'd told Kanda that she would go back to New York after all loose ends were tied together, she had expected a much more self-fulfilled sensation; but it wasn't. It left her empty, aching, wanting. The last month of her and Kanda as an item was hard to undo, but they had both known, before anything else had happened, that it would come to this.

She lied there, now, her head resting on her pillow as she ignored the perpetual dulled pain that made her body lethargic and numb. She tried to sleep, given that it was the only thing she could do in her position, but sleep would never come to her like it used it. The insomnia was a reminder of her condition when she'd first arrived in New York, exhausted but unable to sleep for fear that she would be found again. Likewise, she could not sleep now no matter how much her body screamed for it; she found Tyki's still body in the next room more than simply alarming, nor could she shake off the image when she'd first found him with Leverrier, beaten and broken. The prospect of death was never far away, and it was one she refused to let herself forget.

The door slid open without preamble. Rei did not bother to look up; she knew who to expect.

"…Rei?" said Eiji.

The sound of her father's voice made her insides squirm with intense dislike and indignation, but she sat up to face him regardless. Her father had come alone, thankfully, and she inclined her head towards a seat tucked into the corner of the room.

Eiji dragged the seat next to her bedside and sat down in it. They left a few seconds quiet to study each other, Rei his aged wrinkles, Eiji her scars.

"Hi," she said finally, her voice scratchy.

"…How are you feeling?" said Eiji surprisingly gently. They were back speaking Japanese.

"I'm okay," she said tonelessly. She never found it necessary to remember the insomnia when she replied to the inquiry of her wellbeing.

They fell into silence. Rei shifted her weight so that the pain in her ribcage lessened; noticing her discomfort, Eiji eased her back down to the pillows, his expression concerned.

"Don't push yourself," he said. "The doctors say you have a fair amount of broken bones."

"I'm okay," she repeated. "Look, I…" She caught herself, turned the words over in her head one more time, before she spoke again. "I want to know…what you're going to do. That's the only reason I wanted to see you."

Eiji chuckled wearily. "I've had enough of this…what you want. I've been told for the last few days that you're an adult, and therefore you control what happens to you. You are my child—as a father, I will always have some say in what happens to you—"

"No."

The word rang firmly, as resolutely as she could manage. Eiji looked at her in surprise.

"I'm twenty-two," she said quietly. "I can control what happens to me, by myself. I would let you have some say if whatever you did was actually beneficial. And it's not. Your way of…control…I don't agree with."

"…It was for your protection—"

"Please," she said, the edges of sharpness creeping early into the conversation. She had intended to control her tone, to get her point across in a clear and concise manner, but it was not possible—any mention of Eiji's miserable and dangerous attempts to secure her protection only infuriated her. She did not need any reminder of why Tyki was still lying comatose in the next room.

"I don't need to hear why you think killing people is necessary for my protection," she said coldly.

Eiji did not reply.

"I left four years ago because of what you did to Kate," continued Rei. "No matter if it was you or Leverrier who actually did it. Your intention was the same. I left because I couldn't turn you in. Because…because in the end, no matter how much I wanted to hate you…you're my dad. And I couldn't do that. So I left. Thought that maybe…maybe I could change myself…sort of…reject everything you wanted me to be." She scoffed. "That didn't work. Turns out I want to be your daughter more than I thought."

She stopped here, exhausted and expended. Eiji let her words hover briefly before he spoke.

"What do you want me to do, Rei?" he asked quietly.

She turned to him. "…I want Kate to rest in peace, Otou-san. I want Lavi to have peace of mind. "

He was still for a moment, but then much to her relief, he nodded slowly.

"I understand," was all he said.

Rei bared a minimal smile. "Thank you."

The muscles in his face relaxed slightly at her response, but then tensed up again as he spoke up cautiously.

"…Yet I have a request as well."

Her smile melted to wariness, but Eiji shook his head at her expression.

"It is nothing ridiculous, Rei. It is something that I'm quite certain you have thought of yourself." Eiji sighed and rubbed his temples. "It is about Tyki Mikk."

"…What about him?"

"I want you to leave him. Permanently."

In response to Rei's wordless stare, Eiji elaborated.

"This is the last thing…I want to ask you to do. For your own wellbeing. As your father, I see things more objectively than you do. I don't know if you've been watching the news, but the Noah family is going through a hard time—Tyki Mikk is not excluded. His substance abuse and reckless behavior have been magnified thoroughly in light of what happened; he needs to go to a rehabilitation facility."

"I know," said Rei simply.

"That is not all, Rei. Lulu loves him deeply."

"…What?"

"Our marriage is a little complicated," said Eiji. "I could never quite shake off the feeling that she felt something peculiar for Tyki Mikk; considering that I cannot quite forget your mother either, I realized that we were both on the same page in our marriage. Mutual respect."

"Then why did you join the Noah in the first place?" said Rei. "Why did you even bother abandoning me back in high school—"

"Because joining the Noah family was something your mother always wanted, but I always refused to do," said Eiji heavily. "Our relationship was odd. I was with the yakuza—she was with the Noah. When we began our marriage, we had to choose which side to take, which to renounce. Your mother was very fond of Cyril Kamelot, and he of her."

"…Please do not tell me that she and Cyril Kamelot—"

"It was nothing of the sort," said Eiji. "Your mother was an orphan. To her, the Noah was like family, one that she desperately wanted to keep. I, however, refused. I held allegiances to the yakuza that I didn't want to give up. By that time, she was already pregnant with you—it was either leave the Noah and retain the family for her child that she believed you deserved, or remain with the Noah and raise you alone. She chose the former. Sadly enough…when there was a change in power…and Natsuno Kenji was disposed of, Leverrier did not find it wise to keep a family that was so closely affiliated with the Noah. He organized your mother's murder—what was meant to be our entire family's murder—and it was then that I quit. I re-established connections with the Noah. And when I believed you to be an excellent independent bodyguard…I began to push things forward."

"Things obviously did not play out the way I'd intended for them to be," he continued. "I never anticipated for you and Kanda to meet. For you to start caring for him. You should never have met him. If you hadn't…nothing so terrible would have happened. You would've never been in the modeling world; you would remained pure, a bodyguard to the last, a—"

"Meeting Kanda," said Rei very quietly, "was the best thing that ever happened to me."

Eiji looked positively alarmed at this. Rei went on in the same quiet, resolute tone.

"Meeting him was the catalyst into the very happiest moments of my life," she said. "Meeting him meant that I met so many of the other people in my life who have made it so much fuller. I've thought before about…how much I would've liked it had I _not_ met him…but when I really think about it, I just can't imagine how…I could change it. I don't regret meeting him. Loving him, either. It's just…the way it is."

"Then if you feel that way, stay with Kanda," said Eiji. "Let go of Tyki Mikk—let him return to recovery and then to his family, to where he belongs. Let yourself return to a safety that…that you belong to. A happiness. One that he can never give you."

"I don't…happiness and safety aren't what I want."

"…Rei," said Eiji urgently.

"I've thought about my own happiness and safety too much," she said. "And I've realized that…they never lead me where I want. Sometimes…I…" She paused. "It's always been a compromise with Tyki. Give a little, take a little. We always have to meet halfway. But to me…that halfway point is more fulfilling than one hundred percent of my own happiness. And that's all I want. Fulfillment."

"But it's not what is best for you—"

"And I think I'm okay with that," said Rei gently. "Some people might see it as…self-destructive. But it's not. It's what I want. If he wants it, too."

"Rei, I don't want you to have anything to do with the Noah family any longer. I want you to be far removed from them, but Tyki will not leave them. And if he will not leave them, they will not leave you. You will never be fully safe—how can I be at peace with that?"

"You won't," said Rei. "I won't be at peace, either. With Tyki, I'll never be at wholly at peace. It's just…something I've come to accept. Something you should too."

"And you are going to accept that half-hearted peace?" said Eiji sternly.

"I don't think it'll be half-hearted," said Rei. "I think it will fulfill me like nothing else can. That's the point…because that's what I want."

Eiji let out a long breath. "…I see."

He seemed to be debating, whether or not he wanted to continue arguing, but his gaze met Rei's and he merely offered a tired, knowing smile. He pushed back his chair and stood up.

"You look exhausted," said Eiji. "Try to rest easy."

He reached over hesitantly, his hand lingering over her head before it rested with a soft pat.

"I will," she said.

A silence. Eiji punctured it by clearing his throat.

"Goodbye, Rei."

"…Bye, Otou-san."

Another pat, and then his profile passed her towards the door. The shoulders she used to sit on looked just as strong as she remembered them to be.

The door clacked shut, and then the childhood evaporated, and she realized that no resolution left her with the satisfaction she was trying to find.

* * *

"…Where's mine?"

"Allen ate it."

"HE ORDERED EIGHT DIFFERENT PLATTERS—HOW DID HE JUST EAT MINE—"

"He thought yours looked good and thought he would just try some—you know him, a bite to him is a meal to others—"

"The fuck, beansprout—"

"What, just order another one, it's not like you don't have money or something."

"Where the fuck does all the food go—don't answer, dumbass, it was a rhetorical question—go fucking order me another—"

"Shut up, guys."

"Then _you_ get it, Bookman—"

"No, seriously, shut up, Rei's dad's on T.V."

They looked at the screen in dead silence.

"Breaking news, father of Rei Matsumomo and husband of Lulubell Kamelot, princess of Portugal, has just turned himself in for being a causal factor to the mysterious crash that resulted in the tragic death of supermodel Kate Schrödlich four and a half years ago. Coupled with the recent allegations of underground dealings with the Spanish Mafia and Japanese yakuza, the Noah royal family is facing considerable turmoil. In addition, with no news of Tyki Mikk waking up after the horrific kidnapping incident, it is unlikely that these series of events will be helping the family in any manner. Rei Matsumomo is still currently in the hospital—no news has been revealed otherwise."

"…He turned himself in."

"Wonder if Rei made him do it—Lavi? Lavi!"

"Just getting a breath of fresh air, mates, continue eating."

"You okay?"

"Fine."

"…Need anything?"

"Man, Kanda, you sure are sentimental lately—"

"Stow it, rabbit."

"I'm fine, guys. Just need some time alone."

* * *

He couldn't remember where he was. Why he was there.

Beeping machines. Strong pungent smell of disinfectant. White. Scratching sheets. Pain. His head, chest. His body was stiff. He moved his fingers. Nothing wrong. Hand. Arm. Pain. He took in a deep breath, and his head exploded with an indignant throbbing; he gritted his teeth and screwed his eyes closed; breathe, slowly, deeply.

The pain subsided into a constant throb, one that was not comfortable but at least manageable. He opened his eyes again.

He knew he was in a hospital, but why…

A series of events flashed before him. Ah, that's right, there was a kidnapping, he'd gone to play the hero…who had he gone to save? Why, anyway?

His head hurt.

And he knew. Rei was safe.

Tyki sat up—at least, he tried. The pain that renewed in his head was excruciating; he leaned back on the pillows, panting, breathing harshly, and with the pain in his head came pain from his torso, lower body, actually, everywhere; fuck, he had never hurt so badly before…

He felt the extreme desire to shower though—something told him that he had been lying in that bed for God-knew-how-long.

He struggled to sit up again, ignoring the pain and stumbling off the bed into a small, adjoining room. It was a bathroom; at the end of it was another door that led elsewhere, but Tyki had no inclination to see beyond it because his face was fixated on mirror. Only at the sight of his reflection did he realize that he had bandages covering his face; the discomfort renewed at the realization and he haphazardly tore the bandages off. It did not help his headache any but it was tolerable. With a casual toss, the bandages fell into the trashcan nearby, and Tyki studied his reflection again.

God, he was a mess. Bruises did more than speckle his face; he could swear that his jaw was broken, but maybe not, because he was not in headgear; but all the same, he could not stare at his reflection for too long without wincing. It was a change—after so long of narcissistically studying his beautiful face in the mirror, the reaction of revulsion was unknown to him, yet he could not help it. The lacerations winding from his cheekbone to his chin were obvious, raw and still unhealed. His eyes were hardly visibly in light of the swelling and the bruises had gone so far as to discolor his skin—

He did not need much longer to feel disgusted with himself. He turned to the shower and twisted the knob, thinking. Seeing only made the pain even more present, but the shock was also starting to numb him. He was…deformed? Disfigured? What was the right word? And truthfully, did it really matter?

The hot water was soothing and relaxing, but the process of showering itself was difficult. He moved gingerly around, soon realizing that he was unable to stand for extended periods of time on his own. The shower lasted barely five minutes, and yet when he was finished, he was fatigued. The pain had grown immensely in the time span, and as he was dressing, he was starting to see black spots.

There was a knock on the door that the bathroom led out of. Tyki stared in silence.

And then,

"Tyki?"

It was Rei. Tyki did not verbally respond; he limped over to the door, and as the doorknob began to twist and the door began to open, he grabbed it and pulled it shut.

He wasn't sure why the reaction had been so automatic.

He just didn't want to see her.

There was a silence so long that he thought he must've just imagined the door opening, but the Rei spoke again.

"Is that you, at least?" she said.

"…Yes," he breathed.

"…Did you just wake up?"

"…Yes."

A pause.

"How are you feeling?"

He grimaced. "In pain."

"…Are you okay?"

"Yes…no…it's just…" He took in a deep breath. "Now isn't the best time."

"…I understand."

He didn't reply; he could not deny the bits of antagonism he felt, but he was lucid enough not to lash out at her. He was being petty. It was just his face. Did it matter so much? It was not like she had been the one to carve out his face anyway—he closed his eyes. No, she was worth it—she had always been worth it.

"…Can I…" he heard her say hesitantly, "can I just say a few things?"

"Since when did you ever ask for permission?" he said, leaning heavily on the door.

A very weak laugh. "Never. I guess."

She did not continue. He could tell that she was holding herself back and realized that he'd always hated it when she found it necessary to restrain herself around him; he had been the only one able to handle _all_ of her, the outbursts and the pent-up frustrations, the pleasure and an unconquerable pain. She had no reason to hold herself back—she was not the Rei he wanted if she did.

"Go on," he said curtly.

"I…I just wanted to say…thank you. For coming to get me."

This was not what he had been expecting, and this reminder of his apparent stupidity only annoyed him further.

"…Fat load of help I was—"

"No, you don't get it. I…no matter how much I told myself that it was stupid, that you shouldn't come…I was sitting there wanting so badly that you would. Like a…the…selfish idiot I am. Just waiting. And…so…thank you…for doing that, especially with…how I left you before that."

Tyki did not answer. He was not especially thankful of how she'd left him before everything had happened either.

"I also wanted…to say some things that I should have said a long time ago. A lot of…apologies. I'm sorry for what I'd said…before the whole…incident. For blaming you for things that I…that I really should've explained. I'm sorry for…for not trusting you this time around. I'm sorry for not telling you about what happened with Kate, right when I came back." She inhaled a shaky breath, clearly trying to keep her composure. "I'm sorry for saying that I couldn't trust you. I'm sorry for _not_ trusting you. Now, or then."

"Rei."

She was quickly escalating out of control. He did not need to hear the rest.

"More than anything…I…I'm sorry for what happened four years ago—I'm sorry for leaving you like that when I should have stayed—"

"Rei."

"I'm sorry for not trusting you back when you trusted me the most, I'm sorry for thinking that you couldn't give me the happiness and the peace of mind that I wanted because I've realized that for the last four years of my life, I've been the most fucking miserable person on the planet, and I'm sorry for coming back and thinking that in the end I _could_ just come back and fix every fucking mistake that I've ever made—"

He opened the door abruptly, revealing Rei who was swallowed up by her hospital gown; she quickly turned away and brought her hands up to her face to brush her cheeks.

"You said you didn't want to see me—shut the fucking door—I don't want to see you either right now—"

"Rei," he said wearily.

She finally looked at him seriously, for the first time; her eyes immediately widened from behind her cage of fingers at the sight of his face. She stepped forward, no longer conscious of the tears smeared against the corners of her eyes, and, shaking, brought a hand up to his cheek.

"Don't touch," he said with a bit more harshness than he should have.

Rei immediately retracted her hand, but he caught it before she could retreat completely.

"It just hurts," he said grimly. "I don't mean it personally."

"I'm sorry," she said, "I've been just…saying stupid things, go to sleep—you need to rest—"

"It wasn't stupid," he said. "I needed to hear it…at least part of it."

Rei fell silent. Tyki let out a breath, and unconsciously, his fingers curled between hers in the familiar pattern of tan between pale. She did not respond; her gaze was only fixated on his face. He could see her expression twist.

"You shouldn't have come," she said shakily.

"We both know that I would've come even if the chances of saving you were zero percent—"

"Your face—"

"Really, what's its value anyway—"

"I can't sleep!" she said, her voice rising. She refused to meet his gaze. "I can't sleep—do you know what I think about when I close my eyes? I think—I think—I see you there! I see you like how I did when I first stepped into that room and saw you and I can't get it out of my head—I keep thinking that if I sleep, I'm never going to see you wake up, I think about what happened and what if you just never woke up again, what if you woke up and forgot everything, what if you weren't the same anymore, and I just can't sleep because I can't stand that I wanted you to come so badly because all I wanted to know was that you still loved me no matter how much shit I did to you—"

Every action he did was automatic—nothing ever processed the way it should have, for he didn't think a split second about how much pain he would feel when he kissed her. It hurt—like hell—but he did not stop. His body was exhausted beyond belief, but there was always enough energy for this, for the satiation of the fantasy that he'd had for so long, for this final fulfillment of a perpetual ache he could never be rid of. Rei did not even resist—she leaned against him, and for once, she had more strength than he—she returned the kiss with an urgency that he had not expected. He tried to control, to lead, but he found himself being pushed against the doorframe as Rei attacked him with every part of her body. He could feel her cheeks brushing against his, could feel the tears, could feel her lips against his bruised ones, her heart through the hospital gown and nothing more—

Her hand curled tenderly up his neck, touching him lightly and carefully. The other that was resting on his chest gradually began to make its way down, under the cloth and grazing over his skin—the kisses were numbing and while the pain did not subsist, it was trumped by a desperate yearning and pleasure. His arms encircled her waist and pulled her up, pressing her body tightly against his, feeling every contour, her arms, her legs, waist, breasts, wildly pumping heart; he wanted to touch the skin, wanted the sensation of being pressed so tightly together that it felt like their bodies were morphing into each other's. She began to shift her hips against his; it was all a little too provocative, a little too soon and a little too surprising for him to control the obvious physical reaction that ensued. It was only too clear where this was all going, and he broke apart from her and, still supporting her as best as he could, spoke.

"I don't know if I can…" He gritted his teeth, "make it through the entire thing."

"…Right…" said Rei softly.

He felt the need to explain himself—it sounded like he was disappointing her or the like.

"I'm in a lot of pain," he said plainly. "And…you…you look hurt, too, and I just don't think it's the best…"

Rei's expression had slowly been migrating from one of resignation to one of humored appraisal, and he knew that neither of them believed a single word of restraint that he was voicing. He stopped speaking and kissed her with so much force that she gasped in surprise and then just pushed her into her room, struggling and aiming for the bed while undressing her as fast as he could.

His head throbbed. It was going to hurt like hell.

* * *

It was easily the most painful and quite possibly the worst sex he'd ever had. Every action was laborious and while the performance itself was not too bad, the shuffling and balancing act on the tiny hospital bed hampered his movement and strained his intent. While it was obvious Rei was trying to help him and was also much more experienced than when they'd slept together the last time, she herself was injured; the bandages splinting her torso were not only uncomfortable, they blocked his access to territory he would have enjoyed very much. Still, he could not deny the pleasure he felt during sex—Rei was still as sensitive but much more vocal than he remembered her to be—or the relief he felt after, when he rolled to the left of her, panting harshly.

She curled up onto his arm and buried her face between his neck and shoulder. Her hands crawled on him, one under his extended arm, the other resting on his chest, right over his heart, as if she needed the physical thumping under his skin to remind her of something important.

He needed a few moments to recover his expended energy. The black stars were starting to cloud his vision—sex was probably not the best idea after he'd just woken up from a blackout—but at least he felt…content. At ease. It was a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time.

"…You okay?" he muttered.

"Mm."

"…I'll just go ahead and say that that was probably the worst sex I've ever had."

"…I've had worse," she murmured.

Tyki chuckled. "Really? With who? Kanda?"

She made a small noise that sounded like a scornful snort. "Don't you dearly wish that…"

"Was he good?"

"…This is a most awkward conversation to be having with you."

"Was he?" said Tyki insistently.

"Yes," she said, leaning back so that she could actually see him. "He was. Satisfied now?"

"No," sighed Tyki. "I was always counting on Kanda's sexual prowess to be sadly lacking so I at least had _some_ upper-hand when it came to you…"

"Sorry," said Rei dryly, "you've got a lot to live up to. Kanda's been the best sex I've had…probably ever."

Tyki stared. "No."

"Oh, seriously, you can't pretend that I actually enjoyed having sex with you four years ago—it hurt, and—"

"I was careful!"

"It didn't make it any better," Rei scoffed. "Look, drop it—getting so agitated over this is only going to make you pass out."

He would've loved to continue, but Rei gave him such an annoyed yet genuinely concerned look that he stopped. Instead, he wrapped his arm around her stomach and pulled her closer.

"…How long have I been out?" he said against her forehead.

"…I lost count of the days," she replied. "I think it's been about…a week."

"Damn. I'm surprised I woke up."

Her eyes darted to his face. "…I'm glad you did."

He chuckled again, though this time, wryly. "So considering that we are currently naked…you finished things with Kanda?"

Her gaze left. "I guess."

His voice grew gentler. "…You okay with that?"

"…I guess."

He tried to probe a little farther. "If everything hadn't happened, would you have stayed with him?"

She didn't answer immediately. "…No. I'd already left."

His lips brushed her skin. "Do you regret it?"

It was an ambiguous question. He wondered if she knew what he was looking for. The finality of it all. That Kanda was not the choice she would have made if she'd been free of her inhibitions. Obligations. And past.

It looked as if she didn't want to reply, but no matter how uncomfortable it made her feel, it was an answer he wanted. Needed, if he was to make the correct decisions as well.

"Rei?"

"…I don't regret where I am now," she answered softly. Her eyes found his. "That okay?"

Was it half-hearted? Or was the gaze resolute? The answer too cryptic, or was it really so simple?

Or perhaps it time for him to concede that Kanda and Rei were an item that he was never going to understand.

He kissed her forehead.

"Yes," he whispered. "It is."

* * *

_free talk:_

_yes, i'm not studying for finals because i'm a terrible student...  
so yeah. here's a chapter for december. we'll see if i can get the next one out by the end of this year. if not, merry early christmas! thank you for sticking with me for so long. sorry, also, for not replying your reviews in ages - please know that i do appreciate each and every one of you. (we also just broke 2000 reviews, which only makes me all the more thankful and undeserving of your support.)_

_i hope you enjoyed this chapter; i know some people will be upset with this direction of resolution, but i couldn't make everyone happy so i just decided to make myself happy, haha. lj later if you're interested._

_xoxo,  
m.n _


	57. Crossroads in the Open

**Chapter 14: Crossroads in the Open**  
_diamonds in wine._

* * *

It took him a while to adjust to the sensation of being alive. Functioning. Moving.

The night with Rei seemed to be a blur, one that he realized he must not have been thinking coherently through. She seemed to realize this as well, for the next few days followed with them only talking, barely touching, as Tyki tried to regain the ability to independently function. Then slowly, he began to long for the physical contact again, the reminder that when he touched her, he was not going to be pushed away; there would be no antagonistic response, no rebuttal like he feared.

She was with him as much as he wanted her to be, giving him space if he needed it, staying with him if he was feeling playfully needy. The only times she refused to remain near when he wanted her to was when his family came.

"I don't want to see them," she said point-blank. "I might slap Lulu if I do."

Given the circumstances, he let her go. He couldn't deny that it was good to see Road though it'd been painful when she'd thrown her arms around him, annoying as always to see the twins ("Yo, man, you look ugly"), but the first solo meeting with Lulubell was surprisingly awkward. He had been expecting some sort of rant, the same kind when he'd purposefully overdosed and drank to complement it, but she was silent upon entrance.

"…Hi," he said placidly.

She stared at him, her face colorless, her stance rigid. Tyki let the silence float about until it became too much to bear, and he inclined his head towards the seat.

"Sit?"

She did jerkily. Everything about her was so much the exact opposite of her normal suaveness that he was slightly wary.

"…Are you all right?" he said.

"Yes," she answered stiffly.

"…Great."

Another pause.

"Are you?" she asked.

"I've been better," he said, groaning as he shifted his weight on the pillows. Immediately, Lulu was at his side, helping him readjust. He stared.

"Are you _sure_ you're all right?" he asked blankly.

"For God's sake, Tyki!" she said, showing the first signs of emotion since she'd walked into the room. "Of course not! You very nearly just died! You were comatose for a week and a half! Of course I'm not all right!"

He was completely bewildered. "…Oh."

Lulu took in a deep breath and sat back down, running a hand through her hair as she did. Tyki studied her closely, noticing a gauntness in her that he hadn't noticed before, the dark circles under her eyes, the constant weary sigh at her lips. She had been worried—that much was obvious.

"You look beautiful, as always," he offered.

She gave him a look of skeptic disapproval, but she nodded to his compliment in acceptance.

"Thank you," she said. "I wish I could say the same to you."

Tyki chuckled. "Only Rei is good at boosting my self-esteem. Every single one of my family members says I look like a monstrosity."

A smirk flitted at Lulu's lips—it was a good sign to see her recovery to familiar impassiveness.

"And what does she say?" said Lulu.

Tyki arched his eyebrows suggestively. "Oh, it's not what she says…it's what she _does_."

"…Are you serious?" deadpanned Lulu. "It's been less than a week and you're already—"

"I have needs," he said simply.

"You are _handicapped_."

"Not in that department," grinned Tyki cheekily. "Seriously, Lulu, calm down. I'm fine. I'm much less fine when I see you actually worrying. You never do—not about me, at any rate."

"…I do," she said sourly. "Worry about you, I mean."

"…Really." His skepticism made his tone gain a hard edge, one that she noticed and narrowed her eyes to.

It looked like Lulu was about to answer, but she didn't, and another one of those terribly awkward moments where no one had anything appropriate to say ensued.

"So are you and…her," Lulu jerked her head in the direction of Rei's room, "are you two…figured out?"

"Somewhat," said Tyki seriously. "I have a few things I want to go over with her…but for the most part…everything's in the open."

"That's…good," said Lulu with a sigh.

"And you? What about Eiji?"

"Oh?" said Lulu with a weary smirk. "Did she not tell you? Eiji's in jail. Idiot turned himself in because _she_ made him."

"…It was the right thing to do."

"I never do the _right thing_," said Lulu bitterly. "I do whatever is necessary for our family, to keep us all together, because that's what's most important, and she's just…" She ran a hand through her hair again. "She's just gone and ruined everything. Eiji…you, too, probably. You're probably going to leave and do…whatever."

"Rehab?" suggested Tyki.

Lulu frowned. "Since when did you want to do that? With your reputation, people will—"

"Lulu, in case you haven't noticed, I really don't give a damn for my reputation. If anything, people should be loving me for being Rei's knight in shining armor—"

"Who got his ass kicked," said Lulu acidly. "You're always the one against rehab—change of heart, now that _she's_ making you?"

"_She_ has a name, you know."

"Is she going to stay with you?" said Lulu, determinedly ignoring his suggestion.

"…I don't know yet. That's one of the things we need to talk about…" He frowned at the prospect. They had been avoiding any conversation about the future. "For the most part, we're probably just going to relocate to our apartments after getting out of this bloody hellhole and recuperate. You don't need to stay in London, you know. I know you probably have mountains of things to figure out with Cyril—speaking of which, where is he?"

"He's been commuting back and forth from London to Portugal. He's had a lot on his plate," said Lulu. "He'll be here tonight—he had a meeting with some officials about whether or not the royalty should be dissolved entirely."

"Will it?" said Tyki, scandalized.

Lulu shrugged. "Probably not. We're iconic. I don't see it being that big of a problem…though our reputation is in shambles…"

"…I know I contribute immensely to our reputation—"

"Don't even joke," said Lulu darkly.

"Kidding, kidding. But otherwise, I'm being serious," said Tyki. "I'm…I think going to rehab will help…hopefully…" He grimaced at the thought. "But when I get out…" He paused. "Well, I was going to promise that I would help you and Cyril out, but you know I don't have the head for politics so…I'll just stay clean. And won't cause you any trouble. Rei will keep me in check." He grinned. "That sound good?"

"Brilliant," said Lulu without inflection. She didn't look mollified.

"…Lulu?" he said cautiously.

She stood up abruptly.

"I better…go pick up Cyril."

"I thought you said he was getting in tonight?"

She didn't answer, instead just striding to the door. He didn't stop her—he didn't quite know what was going on in Lulu's head, but part of him didn't want to know. She seemed more upset with him now than she was when she'd entered.

She stopped at the door.

"I'm glad you're alive, Tyki," she said.

"…So am I, really."

"…Don't do anything so stupid again." She turned around; her golden eyes were surprisingly bright. "I don't want to be left completely alone."

He was about to ask what she meant, but then the door closed behind her, closing with it the unsettling first and last time he'd ever seen Lulu admit that she truly cared.

* * *

"And here's a Snuggie for you," said Lavi, pulling out the last box of gifts and tossing it onto Tyki's bed, "to keep you warm at night as you think of me."

"Bookman, what are you—"

"Just kidding, thinking of Kanda is what I meant, because I got the color that most resembled his eyes—"

"Bookman, would you stop being so freakishly—"

"In love with you?" said Lavi, wrapping his arm around Kanda. "Sorry, baby, I can't do that."

"Get _off_," snapped Kanda, slapping his arm away.

Lavi sighed. "It happens," he said pointedly to Tyki.

"Good to see you both as well," said Tyki dryly. "Honestly, though, what are you doing here?"

"What, we can't come see our mate who's been out cold for ages and has had half his face chopped off?"

"Not particularly."

"I'm not here to see you anyway," scowled Kanda. "Is Rei here?"

"Yeah," said Tyki, "but…it's probably around naptime for her—she usually passes out after lunch."

"How's she been?" queried Lavi.

"Okay," replied Tyki. "She sleeps a lot—everything seems to exhaust her. She's having a hard time with the brace and crutches too—I don't think she's used to be being bedridden."

Kanda stood up with a package in his hand. "I'll go see."

"You brought her something?" said Tyki indignantly.

"And?" said Kanda dully.

"I…she…I thought you guys wouldn't be speaking to each other. Didn't she break up with you?"

Kanda arched an eyebrow. "What do you want me to do, hole up and drink myself shitless? Only you're that petty."

Tyki opened his mouth to reply, then realized that Kanda, sadly enough, was actually right, and closed it. Kanda snorted and left with a very smug expression on his face.

Lavi patted Tyki sympathetically on the arm.

"It's okay, mate. It happens."

* * *

"You brought me something?" said a very groggy Rei.

"Yeah," said Kanda impatiently. "I figured it'd be weird if I came and visited a hospital empty-handed."

Rei sat up and rubbed her eyes. Kanda propped the pillows up behind her.

"You feeling okay?" he asked.

"Yeah…I'm a little drugged up so at least I'm not in pain…" She blinked as she saw him more clearly. "Since when did you care about hospital etiquette enough to come with gifts…"

"Don't think too highly of yourself," he said sourly, tossing the package at her.

"You look lovely," she said, leaving the gift in front of her as she admired him. "With your glasses and sweater, you could fit right in at Oxford—"

"Woman, stop gawking and open the damn package."

Rei yawned and took the package into her hands.

"Why are you here?"

"To see you," he said honestly.

She looked up at him in surprise.

"What?" he frowned. "You shut us out for a week—isn't that enough time?"

"I mean…I guess? For me? I thought…you'd need a little longer."

"I'm fine, thanks."

"…You sure?"

"I'm not pathetic, Matsumomo."

"I know…it's just…" She winced at his death glare. "Okay, I get it…you're over it…let's see what you got me…you could've just gotten flowers, you know."

"You could've been allergic."

"We've had this conversation before—you know I'm not allergic to anything after we talked about the extensive list of things that make you, if not reactively allergic, at least irritated. Which is to say…everything, including me."

"Just open it," he glowered.

Rei obliged, rummaging through the tissue paper.

"Face wash?" she said, surprised, holding up the bottle.

"Yeah."

"Um…thanks?"

"The hospital gives really shitty stuff—truthfully, the last time I saw you, your face was as dry as a prune and you looked disgusting. I figured not much would've changed between then and now, and seeing you now, I was right, so here."

"You have such a way with words, Kanda."

"My forte, I know."

She smiled. "So refreshing."

"There's more."

Obliging, she reached down into the bag and drew out a neatly bound book. Curiosity flitted across her face and she opened it, revealing pigmented glossy pages.

"Spring catalog," he said. "For next year."

She fell silent as she paused at the first picture, of him and her, on the very first set with the Victorian backdrop. A shadow casted over her face, difficult to read—was it longing, regret, and a tinge of hostility? But he hadn't brought it to be cruel—he'd brought it to pull everything out in the open, to set the table in front of them will all cards revealed so that maybe they could take a step back, recognize that they were going to start over but not progress down the same pathway. The words that he'd said to her a long time ago—or was it she to him?—that there was never a middle ground between them…maybe they were wrong.

Maybe.

Or maybe not.

Rei flipped through the pages, her expression growing more clouded with every page—the kiss, then the bodyguard and the guarded, then the peaceful socialite couple, the natural couple by the river, everything just radiated couple, couple, couple, and eventually Kanda could see that it was getting the better of her and she snapped the book shut before she arrived at the end.

"Thanks," she murmured. "They look beautiful."

"…Yeah."

She looked uncomfortable, and he did nothing to make her feel less so. As "fine" as he was, he could not rein in the little bouts of resentment that sometimes filtered naturally into his every action.

Rei seemed to search for a new topic.

"So what have you been doing lately?"

Brutal honesty was always his best trait. "Throwing everything related to you out of my house."

"Oh." Her face seemed to lose any color it had.

He was really quite bad at making people feel better. He looked at her intently. "You never told me you kept the Tiffany earrings I gave you."

Her startled expression proved his speculations correct, that she had not expected him to find or even recognize the diamond earrings, tucked carefully away in an inconspicuous pocket of her makeup bag. But Kanda wouldn't have ever failed to recognize them—the amount of shit Lavi had given him for buying them ensured that.

He would never tell her that, though, especially given everything that had come to pass. The diamond studs looked the same as they did four years ago, but the person he had given them to did not.

"…Oh…" She looked past him. "Yeah…"

"I thought you said you left everything behind."

"I thought I did too," she said bluntly. "Including…that. But it ended up in my bag and I just ended up…keeping it." She turned her attention to him swiftly. "You didn't throw them out, did you?"

"…No."

He'd come close, but the price tag had lingered above his head.

Rei looked relieved. "Good."

"I'm taking them back."

"Why?" she said, startled. "I—"

"Tiffany's for someone special, remember?" he said lightly.

It took a while for the words to sink in. He was not just quite bad at making people feel better—he was a professional at making people feel worse.

Kanda didn't know what was wrong with him.

He was right about to add a "Just kidding" just to alleviate the tension when Rei smiled slightly, though he couldn't mistake a tinge of irony in it.

"Yeah," she said. "I remember."

* * *

"Can I look at this?" said Tyki.

He held up the _Illusion_ catalog that Kanda had brought earlier. Rei plucked it from his hand and shoved it in the nearest drawer.

"No," she said flippantly.

They were both cramped on her bed, making it easy for Tyki to simply reach over her and fumble for the drawer's handle. She slapped his hand away.

"Why?" said Tyki childishly.

"Why do you want to see it?" she said sourly. "You know it's just going to make you upset—you don't need anything else to stress you out."

"Rei, you're injured yet we're still having sex—don't you think I'm a little more secure about my position now?"

"No means no," she said a tad coolly.

"…Is it because you're bitter about it? Him?" he guessed.

"Yes," she said bluntly, much to his surprise. "It is."

He didn't know how to respond.

"I can't deny that the time I spent with Kanda wasn't calming," she said. "Nor can I deny that I didn't feel something when I did these photos. And because I know that, I don't want you to see them."

"…I'll just pretend all you're doing is modeling," he suggested. "Which you are."

"Tyki, I've never 'just modeled.' I never could. I had to feel something. When I modeled with you, it was because I felt something for you, and it's the exact same case with Kanda."

"Unfortunately," said Tyki lightly, "all your pictures with Kanda seem to turn out better."

She glared at him, but it didn't prevent him from plowing on.

"Don't you think that's saying something?" he asked.

"What are you suggesting?"

"I already know what you're planning—I overheard Kanda talking to Bookman the other day, saying how you want to go back to New York. But I know it's all a farce—you want to stay in whatever city I go to rehab in."

She looked stricken. "How did you—"

"Only the fact that you have brochures for apartments near the facilities I've been looking at stowed in that oh-so-secret drawer of yours."

"Please don't just go looking through things that aren't yours—"

"I was thinking about just giving you to Kanda," said Tyki frankly.

"…_What_?" She looked absolutely furious.

"Just kidding," he said dryly. "I'm not that selfless." He shifted his weight on the bed and tightened his hold around her shoulder.

"I'll admit…" he continued after a pause, "that I considered it. That I could maybe play the good guy, for once, and well…" He exhaled and looked away from Rei's face, which was only growing more and more incredulous. "Let's face it, Rei, you know you'd be happier with him overall than you'd be with me."

In the corner of his eye, he could see her face darkening.

"Let me finish, would you," he said chidingly. "It's the truth—all people involved know it. You only want me because you feel…more…I don't know, really, what _do_ you feel that makes you prefer me over him?"

He was asking her honestly, and when Rei opened her mouth twice and closed it without an answer, he chuckled.

"You don't know either?" he guessed.

"I do," she said shortly. "It just sounds stupid when I say it aloud."

"What is it?"

Rei looked away before she replied. "A…" She gestured under the covers with her hand towards her chest. "A…fulfillment…something feels right…that doesn't…" She seemed to shrink under the blankets. "I'm going to sound so terrible…"

"Spit it out, I've gotten past the point of judging you."

"With Kanda, it doesn't feel wrong, it just…doesn't feel the same…like…it's empty…somehow. Somewhere. When I don't think about it…I don't mind…but then…"

Her voice trailed off.

"Then?" Tyki prompted her.

"…When I'm alone…it gets…"

There was a silence. Rei resurfaced from the blankets and looked at him.

"Never mind," she said, fully recovered. "Do continue what you were saying."

"I can't say that wasn't a nice thing to hear," he chuckled. "All the same…I know Kanda is a better choice than I am. And so…"

He stopped. He had to backtrack a bit, make sure he wasn't saying anything wrong, anything he didn't actually believe.

"I don't want you staying while I'm in rehab," he said finally. "It's pointless. You should go and do whatever you think is necessary—if you want to go back to New York and finish studying, that's fine. If you want to stay in London and keep working with Kanda…"

"That's fine too?" said Rei coolly.

"Well…not…quite…but I can't actually say that, can I?" he said, exasperated. "Not if that's what you really want—I can't keep holding you back from something that might be better for you—"

Rei looked outraged.

"Holding me back? You come up with this _now_? I already made my decision, Tyki, don't go saying something _now_ just because you want to play the good guy—don't say anything that upsets what I've already decided. Shut up, sit there, and deal with it—or just let me deal with it—"

It was clear, the disquiet in her heart, and it did not make Tyki feel any better. He rolled over and held her by the shoulder firmly.

"Rei, listen," he said seriously.

She barely reined in her glare.

"Once we get the hell out of the hospital…you're not obligated to do anything for me. If you want to go to New York, go. If you want to stay with Kanda…you should stay. If you find someone else…that's fine, too. As long as you're happy."

"…That's not what I want," said Rei. "Happiness…it's only a part of it…"

"It should be all of it," he said. "If you're happy, you're well. If you're well, you're safe. If you're safe…that's all that I care for."

"Then what about us?" she said defensively. "I've already made my decision and it's to stay with you, Tyki, you can't decide—"

"What can't I decide?" he challenged. "You think I don't have a right to say anything?"

"When you wanted me to stay, I left," said Rei, and it was obvious that this took her quite a bit of effort to say, to verbally acknowledge his abandonment four years ago. "I want to stay now, Tyki…and do what I should've done back then."

"Then you have terrible timing," he said grimly, "because if it's the matter of _me_ wanting you to stay or not, I _want_ you to go. I want you to do whatever makes you happy. If that's being with someone better, healthier, than me, even if it's…" He could not withhold the grimace. "Even if it's Kanda…"

Much to his surprise, she bared a thin smile. "This is exactly what you told me back then. Remember? The first time you took me to Benedito's?"

He remembered. His lips curved into a smile that mirrored hers, albeit a little warmer.

"I do," he admitted.

"It didn't get you anywhere different."

"No, but…it might this time."

Rei looked at him strangely, if not hesitantly.

"Then what would you do?" she said miserably. "You're fine as long as I'm okay? Since when did you become so self-sacrificial?"

He shrugged. "I didn't say I'd be fine. I just said that your happiness would be all I cared for. Whether or not I'd be happy with it would be…well, my business. Something you shouldn't have to feel like you care about."

"You know I can never just not care," she said nearly scathingly.

He grinned. "I do know that. But I just wanted to give you the choice."

"And you know I can never make that choice."

"Rei," he sighed. They were going in circles. "Look. I want you to do whatever you want to do without feeling like you _have_ to do anything for me. I need you—true. But do you need me? Am I that necessary? If you're going to be with me just because it's better for _me_, do you really think we'll last?"

Rei did not respond.

"Go to New York," he said resolutely. "Continue your project with Kanda. Do whatever you need to do. I'll go do what I need to do, and when I get out, I'll find you."

He looked at her seriously.

"You know I need you," he said quietly. "You will always be…to me…the most important. If, after I come back, you…want me there, I'll be there…and we'll be together. If not…I'll be there, supporting you…but only as much as you need me to. Just as a friend. Nothing more than that."

Something flashed in her green eyes, but he could not pinpoint what. He saw her jaw tighten, as if her teeth were grating against each other.

But she nodded, nonverbal consent, and that was enough.

* * *

"Are you sure you're healthy enough to be leaving?" said Tyki uncertainly.

"Yeah," said Rei as she heaved a duffel bag onto the bed. "I'm not even using crutches anymore."

He watched silently as she began taking down the minimal amount of decorations in her apartment. His sullenness was obvious, for as much as he knew that rehab was a necessity, he was clearly not looking forward to it—nor was he looking forward to the fact that Rei was leaving in coming morning.

Three weeks after Tyki had woken up in the hospital, the two of them had finally been discharged to "uninhibited relaxation, preferably in the confines of your homes without any strenuous activity." They had decided to remain in their respective apartments, and ever since that very particular conversation with Tyki, their relationship had dwindled to a solid, easy friendship. Rei did not mind; after all, it had been a long, long time since she and Tyki had been at such a comfortable stage.

"Lucky," he sighed, sitting down on the edge of her bed and setting his crutches on the floor. "These things hurt like hell."

"Yeah, I know," she said, taking the shirt he'd brought and folding it into the duffel bag. "You seem to be doing better though—you can at least shower by yourself."

"And my face has been less stiff," he agreed, rubbing his chin.

Rei knelt down beside him and brought a hand to his cheek, her finger trailing down the ridge of a scab. He winced and immediately pushed it away.

"Just because it's less stiff doesn't mean it doesn't hurt," he said pointedly, patting her on the head. "Don't touch."

"Sorry."

"No worries. Everything in order?" he asked, nodding towards the duffel bag.

"Mm," she said. "Passport, visa, some bags checked already…what about you?"

"Oh, they'll be providing everything," he said wryly. "No need to worry about me there."

Tyki had decided on a rehabilitation center in Lisbon, where he would still be close to his family in case of emergency. In light of the recent crises, the Noah family had all returned to Lisbon. Road would continue her fashion study there and the twins canceled the rest of their European tour to stay home. He'd made the decision to return home rather quickly, and Rei did not disapprove—if she had learned anything, family was still family, no matter how much she disliked Lulubell.

Still, they couldn't ignore that the day of parting was drawing nearer. The last few weeks of recuperation had flown by in a blur, and she couldn't deny that she was going to miss them. Him.

To make matters worse, Tyki had established rules about their separation.

No visits.

No contact.

No waiting.

Not until he deemed it "the right time." Exactly how Tyki's mind functioned was beyond Rei, because sometimes, she could swear that he didn't have one. All the same, she could not actually challenge his "rules" out loud because he insisted that they were the best for her. She could tell: he expected the break of absolutely no contact and no obligations to help her detach from him. To make the decision that would lead to "happiness."

Sometimes, just sometimes, she thought Tyki was an idiot, because it was painfully clear how unhappy the prospect of them not remaining together made him. He never acknowledged it, but she often wondered exactly how he expected her to make the decision to live without him—obligation-free—and still be able to live with herself.

"You're serious about this no-contact deal?" she said dryly, sitting down next to him.

"Yes," he said firmly.

"Tyki, me and you—that's already what I want. What's the point of making us wait a month, two months?"

"…It might be longer than that," he said, and for the first time since they'd returned to their apartments, his lips brushed her forehead.

"How much longer?"

"…I don't know," he said. His lips trailed down, softly kissing her cheek. "Don't worry about me. I just want the next time we see each other…to be the time that I'm completely independent of…things."

"Hasn't it occurred to you that I don't want to have this no-contact thing? That I might miss you?"

"Yes. But maybe you won't as much as you think you will," said Tyki with a cryptic smile.

His finger brushed her cheek as she studied him—the handsome godliness that propelled him as one of the world's greatest models had been marred. Not gone, no, but definitely beaten—the scars on his face would never disappear fully, and it was hard to say how he could possibly still continue his modeling work with them. It was the least of their worries though—Tyki had said before that it was about the right time for him to retire from the scene.

It was time for her to disappear from the modeling world as well. Shortly after the discharge from the hospital, she'd sent Kanda a short note.

_Hey Kanda,_

_The catalog looks beautiful. Thank you for giving me a copy._

_I wanted to thank you for everything you've done for me. Making me your model, patching up our relationship, especially after all this…looks like you're a better guy than I thought you were. That's me joking, of course. We always knew that between us, you were inevitably the bigger and better person._

_I know that I've been unfair to you. More than that. Yet as cruel as it sounds, I don't regret what we happened between us. Meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me, and I truly believe that. So when we tried dating, or a relationship, or whatever you wanted to call it…I was glad we did since I think we owed it to each other._

_All the same, now that our chapter's over, I wanted to just make a few things clear. That I'll always appreciate you and that if you ever need anything, and if your pride can take it, you can always ask me. However, I will never model for you or for anyone else again. I don't believe what Cross says—that you specifically need me to model. You're more than fine by yourself, and if it's what you want to do, you're stupid to not do it on your own. _

_Have fun in Japan. Tell our home country hello for me. If you're ever in New York, let me know. _

_Love always,_

_Rei._

She'd considered throwing away the catalog—it was a reminder that made her prickly on the inside, especially when Tyki was around. She didn't, though, and instead stowed it away amidst the things she would be bringing back to New York.

Mira would be staying in London to finish her internship, thus leaving Rei to room with Elle. She was not particularly looking forward to it, but she couldn't deny that she was glad she and Mira would be having a little bit of a break. Though Mira had visited Rei occasionally and cordially, there was an undeniable degree of tension between them, one that escalated every time Tyki stepped into the room. Though Rei knew that the two of them could easily be friends again, there was an irreparable rift between them, one that hopefully would only diminish as time went on. Tyki seemed to know this, and know that he was the cause as well, for every time the topic of Mira cropped up, he was listlessly contrite. Rei did not rub salt on the wound though—Tyki had done more than enough for her, and in the face of it all, Rei's jealousy was nothing but petty.

"Am I right?" said Tyki, jostling Rei out of her musing.

"About what?" she queried.

"That you won't miss me as much as you think?"

She hit him lightly on the head, which made him wince more than it should have.

"Oops," she said hastily, rubbing where she'd just hit lightly in consolation. "Sorry…"

"Clearly, you're not going to miss me," he grumbled. "Look at all the abuse I suffer through when you're around…I'm glad to be rid of you too."

"It was an accident," she said. "Stop being such a baby. I'm finished packing—what do you want to do?"

They looked at the clock—it was already midnight. Rei's flight was at four in the morning so they could avoid any paparazzi. She could see Tyki's face darken—with the recent battering that the Noah's reputation had taken, he had grudgingly conceded to Lavi that he wouldn't send Rei to the airport. Which meant….

"Two hours left," he said with an audible exhalation.

"Two and a half," she corrected.

"That's not even enough for a movie."

"We could," she said halfheartedly. Neither of them wanted to watch anything.

Tyki lied down on the pillows and beckoned for her to do the same. She arched an eyebrow—after two weeks of being strictly friends, wasn't this a step back in the wrong direction?

He seemed to guess her thoughts and scowled.

"I don't give a fuck," he said. "This is what I want to do—humor me."

Rei shrugged and obliged, climbing next to him and lying on his outstretched arm. It curled around her shoulder and his head rested on hers, where she could feel his gentle breaths rustling her hair.

"Is Kanda picking you up?" said Tyki.

"No. Bookman, though they might all be coming together."

He scoffed. "Can't believe you and Kanda are leaving on the same day."

"Less goodbyes, right?"

"It's not like I would've missed him anyway."

"I thought the Snuggie was supposed to be his replacement."

Tyki snorted but didn't reply. She could tell he was sinking into one of his moodier moments.

"Can I get a cig—"

"No."

"Rei, rehab hasn't even started."

"Get an early start," she said firmly. "The faster you quit, the faster you get out, and then I won't have to wait so long."

He looked at her appraisingly. "You didn't listen to a word I said, did you?"

"Nope," she said.

"Rei—"

"Tyki, if this is going to turn into the exact same conversation we had before, I'm going to stop listening right now—"

She felt something cool slip on her finger and looked down. She recognized it immediately with a slight hitch of breath.

The ring she had left on the bathroom counter four years ago glistened on her hand, the diamond in its center catching the lamplight brightly.

"…You kept it," she said tonelessly.

Tyki's thumb brushed over it before his hand enveloped hers.

"Believe me, I was very close to throwing it away," he said. "But…" He fiddled with it, twisting it around her finger, "I'm glad I didn't."

His lips pressed against her forehead.

"Keep that with you," he said, "…as a reminder, I suppose. Of good times, and good times only."

The clock was ticking and her throat constricting; mouth dry, she found herself merely nodding to avoid having to say anything.

"And while you're in New York…don't be too impulsive," he said. "Have fun…relax…but focus on what you want. That's the most important part."

She had a half-mind to toss her ticket into the trash, to stay just a little bit longer, but that wasn't feasible because they both needed to move on and grow up a little more, to forget and remember each other a little bit more and learn what they could do on their own.

"I'll miss you," she said quietly. "A lot."

She heard him chuckle, a soft, low rumble. "I know, love." His other hand wove into her hair. "I just wanted to hear you say you would."

His lips touched hers, just briefly, the first and last in a very long time.

* * *

"And here we are at Customs and Security," sighed Lavi as the group of them approached the area roped off from general public. It didn't matter much, since the airport was surprisingly devoid of human activity. Cross, unwilling to wake up so early to send them off, had at least gotten the police to shut down most of the airport from rabid fans. "Guess this is where we say goodbye."

"Stop acting like it's the end of the world," snapped Kanda. "It's not like you're never going to see us again."

"Not if your plane crashes," deadpanned Allen.

"Allen!" said Lenalee indignantly.

"I'm kidding, Lenalee—I wouldn't want him to die, who would I make fun of if he did?"

Kanda frowned and turned to Alma, who was currently sobbing.

"Alma, stop acting so—"

"_Why aren't you taking me with you_?"

Kanda let out an aggravated sigh. "Because I need you to make sure Anja doesn't go crazy—"

"How rude," bristled Anja, "I'm not going to go crazy—"

"And that she actually does work," said Kanda louder.

"I _do_ do work—"

"You _just _got back from your vacation and that took three times the allotted amount of time an—_bloody hell, Alma, stop crying_!"

Rei laughed softly, causing Kanda to round on her.

"What?" she said, regaining sobriety before he could say anything.

"Why are you laughing now, Ms. I-didn't-want-to-talk-the-entire-car-ride-here?"

"Do you want me to be sobbing like Alma instead?" she said coolly.

Kanda scowled. "Alma, if you don't stop bawling your fucking eyes out, I'm going to fire you—"

"No, you wouldn't," said Alma, wiping his tears. "If you did, no one would buy _anything_ from Illusion because you're an asshole and Anja's just mean—"

"Excuse me?" said Anja incredulously.

"Face it, he's right," said Lavi, putting an arm around Alma. "There, there, mate, I got your back."

"I knew you'd understand me!" said Alma, throwing his arms around Lavi.

"You were asking for it," muttered Mira as Lavi struggled to throw him off. She addressed Kanda and Rei. "You two are going to be late at this rate."

"That's why I didn't want a fucking send-off party," snapped Kanda.

"We should probably get going," said Rei. "My flight takes off in an hour—I better get through security."

"Same here," he said, yanking his arm out of Alma's vice-like grip.

"Have a safe flight, you two," said Lenalee with a small wave. "Let us know when you land."

"Will do," said Rei. "Let me know whenever you guys are in New York. Mira, let me know when you arrive so I can pick you up."

"I can just take a cab," said Mira offhandedly.

"Just let me know," said Rei. "We'll figure it out." She made a small wave in their general direction. "Thanks for everything, guys—I'll see you…at Cross and Anita's wedding, probably."

Allen made a retching noise, one that garnered a chiding look from Lenalee, but a mutual look of disgruntlement between Kanda and Lavi.

"Exactly how Cross of all people got such a babe to _marry_ him is beyond me," murmured Lavi. "She is _so _hot."

"And this is my cue to leave," smiled Rei. "See you then."

There were additional hugs, continued words of well-wishing, and it was only after Rei and Kanda actually got through security that the group finally dispersed. The remaining two headed for the gates, dragging their suitcases behind them. They hadn't seen each other since Rei had sent that note, and in retrospect, she should've anticipated the awkwardness. Her note did not depict the kindest, coolest, or most reasonable chain of thoughts. She had written it when she was on pain medication, after all.

"…Why didn't Mikk come?" said Kanda finally, breaking the silence.

"Bookman said that it wasn't a good idea," answered Rei. "The Noah have had a lot of issues lately—Bookman didn't think it would do much for Tyki's image if he was seen."

"I see."

"…Why do you look so annoyed?"

"My bad," he retorted, "it's just the way I am naturally."

"It's as if you wanted Tyki to come. Finally realize that you like him?"

Kanda's eyebrows arched so high that he looked like he had none at all.

"Just kidding," she added hastily, relieved when Kanda's eyebrows took their normal position.

"What are you going to do in New York?"

"Finish college," she replied indolently. "Find a job. I dunno."

He scoffed. "Don't sound too enthusiastic for someone who insisted education was the most important thing in her life—"

"No, I do want to finish college and find a job," she said. "I just…I feel a little wrong for leaving so soon."

"…It's fine," he said. "It's not like you do much anyway."

"You always make me feel better about myself, Kanda."

"I know," he said bluntly.

Rei laughed. "You know, Kanda, I—"

She stopped when she realized that Kanda was no longer walking beside her. She turned around and saw that they had reached a crossroads. They stood in silence for a few seconds: her, bewildered, him, contemplative.

He inclined his head to the left. "My gate's that way."

Rei looked down at her ticket, then looked back up to the signs that indicated the direction of the gates.

"…I'm this way," she said, gesturing to the right.

"I know."

She bared a smile. "I guess this is goodbye, then."

He nodded stiffly and said nothing. The scratchiness in her throat and the convulsions in her chest had never quite disappeared since she'd bade Tyki goodbye, but now they intensified to the point of actual discomfort. She needed to recover herself, at least while she was in front of Kanda.

"…Well…bye, then," she said, extending her hand.

Kanda looked completely bemused by the action, as if he didn't know a handshake was a form of greeting or goodbye. Amusement wrenched its way through the discomfort.

"Kanda, you're seriously going to leave me hanging—"

He grasped and pulled her into a tight hug. It lasted mere seconds, for he let her go before she could formulate another sentence.

"Just thought I worth a little more than a handshake," he said wryly. "See you."

He turned around without another word, dragging his suitcase behind him as he walked briskly and assertively down the endless hallway in the opposite direction. Rei closed her eyes, getting over her momentary shock that Kanda had just played it cool, before re-opening them. He was already far away.

She let out a disbelieving scoff.

"Bye," she said to no one but herself. "Since when did he get so…ugh," she shuddered.

It was almost gross.

But she noticed—the discomfort had eased just a little bit. So she let herself smile just that much.

It had, after all, been a good goodbye.

* * *

Time was an ubiquitous enemy. When she was studying for exams, Rei wanted nothing more for it to slow down and accommodate the panicked frenzy her brain was in. Yet, in the long run, she wanted nothing more than for time to tick by incessantly, minute by minute, day by day. At the same time, she couldn't figure out what for. He had finished rehab in a surprisingly long six months, but it had been bearable up to that point, and she'd expected to see him immediately after. Yet each holiday trickled by without any word from him: first her twenty-third birthday, then Thanksgiving, Christmas again, New Year's, and soon enough, it was her birthday again, and she could not deny that seeing absolutely nothing from him made her slightly disheartened.

She did not dwell on it when she was around others. Truthfully, she saw the rest of the old crowd more than she thought she would—Allen and Lenalee were in New York often for work, Lavi seemed utterly aimless and came whenever he felt like it, and Anita was slowly wrapping up her practice before she finally married Cross and moved to London. As for Kanda, well…she had to admit that she was surprised when he called her every time he was in New York and asked to meet up for dinner. He always made her pay for herself—and he always chose the most expensive restaurants—just so there would be no misunderstandings, but Rei did not mind her gradually emptying bank account. Any minimal friendship with Kanda was more than she could have ever hoped for, and the two of them held on to it steadfastly.

Mira had transferred to Columbia, but the two of them still remained roommates. Their friendship had turned into one of carefully drawn lines that avoided spending too much time together, but after a few months of it, Rei had to say that it was better than before—there was no innate competition between them, no resentment, and most importantly, no overlapping friend groups. Mira said that she had no intention of getting close to any of the modeling crew, though Rei did not miss the odd relationship between her and Lavi—one that included a drunken New Year's hookup that ensued in frigid awkwardness before resolving into a series of dinner dates. They weren't dating, no, but they certainly weren't just friends…Rei did not press the subject, just like Mira wouldn't press the subject of where the hell Tyki Mikk was.

There were always questions that had no conclusive answers.

* * *

She had a recurring dream over the months.

It always started off differently, so she never knew exactly how she got in the situation, but once she stepped through the sliding doors of the airport, she always knew—it would be the same dream.

Yet despite this knowledge, she couldn't control where she went. Or who she was with.

Not that she would've changed it even if she could.

It was few meetings together had grown nearly platonic and even when she was brutally honest with herself, she thought of Tyki more than she thought of Kanda.

Needless to say, a chronic dream of Kanda disturbed her. When she mulled over it, it was hard to convince herself that there were no lingering feelings left. If she no longer loved him, then why would she dream of him?

It was never a nightmare. It was always just them two—no one else. And it was always peaceful.

Sometimes they would be talking. Most of the time, they were quiet. Because with Kanda, silences spoke more than words, and the merest glance meant the most.

Regardless of how they were interacting, the crossroads they arrived at always took her by surprise. As if the divergence was premature. She would turn to him; he would linger at the start of the opposite direction, his eyes passive, his head cocked to one side in arrogant inquiry. He never said anything, but the offer was always there: come with me.

She was too conceited. Kanda had detached from her more than she of him; in reality, Kanda had in no way suggested that she go with him. So the fact that dream Kanda _did_ suggest such a thing perturbed her—was this a reflection of her own desire? Did she want him to ask her? And did she want to go?

But she never did. Instead, she always shook her head and set off in the opposite direction, to the destination that would be somewhere away from Kanda.

This confused her all the more. If this were a reflection of her inner desire, then why didn't she go?

But she didn't. She just walked away.

And kept walking.

That was the worst part of the dream. She never stopped walking.

She never arrived at the destination.

* * *

Anita and Cross were married on the first of April. Cross had chosen the location, an old cathedral in London, while Anita had settled on the date.

"It's so if I get cold feet, I can get up to the alter and say that the entire thing was an April Fool's joke," Anita laughed.

It wasn't, though. Rei knew that Anita had never been serious about anyone but Cross, and the same went for him—except perhaps for Klaud Nine. Except Rei never told Anita that, and she doubted Cross would ever bring it up.

Rei was the first to arrive due to a series of unfortunate travel plans; she sat in the last pew of the sanctuary after dropping off her gift in an adjoining room. The atrium was an open one, with high ceilings and stained glass windows that filtered the sunlight through their pigmented prisms. Warm and filled with the dense aroma of roses, it was a grand and beautiful place, one that made Rei smile faintly while her heart sank in its familiar stupor of reticence.

She sighed and closed her eyes in meditation, methodically twisting the ring on her finger in unconscious repetition. She had not seen the rest of the group in a while, as she had been too busy with job interviews to fly to London and help with wedding preparations. Mira, likewise, had been flying all over the country to interview for medical schools, and so this wedding would be the first break the both of them got since the beginning of the previous semester. It was a good time for a break, with graduation was quickly rounding the corner and full-time employment following shortly after. Where Tyki would be in the picture was beyond her.

One particularly vehement twist. Though she had to admit, the separation made her stronger than she thought it would.

Another twist. She didn't know how many times she'd told herself that she would wait just one more month before finding him herself.

Her finger was growing raw, or at least, it would have had this methodic twisting not become her outlet to any frustration regarding Tyki. On her finger was now a small indentation of the thin band that was so frequently abrasive.

She allowed herself to think about him for one more brief second, contemplate whether or not he would be here, before her brow unconsciously furrowed and she refused to dwell on him any further.

Someone slipped in the seat beside her; Rei didn't even need to open her eyes to know who it was; his cologne was extremely noticeable and familiar.

"I have to say, you hit it big with that scent," she said.

"Like it?" he asked.

"I'm tired of it. The sample in the latest Vogue issue smelled up my entire bathroom."

Kanda scoffed and shifted in his seat. It had been a few months since his last trip to New York and they were not exactly in constant communication. He was, as always, a refreshing sight of natural beauty. His shoulder-length hair was tied in a ponytail that hung loosely over his shoulder; he had complemented his black suit with surprising gold tie, and for one who hated hair products, had gelled his bangs back for the formal occasion.

"Good to see you," she smiled.

He acknowledged her with a curt nod. "No one else here?"

"Not that I know of."

"Why are you here so early?"

"My flight got in early, and I can't check into the hotel until two in the afternoon. I had nowhere else to go, so I came here. You?"

"Got bored of the office."

"That's a first," she said. "How's the catalog coming along?"

"We can afford a bit of a break," he said, stretching slightly. "At least, I can. Anja is handling the entirety of next season, except for maybe a few pieces if I get some inspiration."

"You two didn't come together?"

"Women," he snorted. "I told her I'd pick her up at noon, just so we would beat the traffic, but she said her hair was taking too long—she's coming alone."

"Harsh."

"I like to be punctual."

"You're two hours early, Kanda."

"So are you," he retorted.

"Alma coming?"

"Probably. If you see him, let me know—I need to hide."

Rei smiled. "Why do you hate him so much?"

"He's a prissy brat—I can't stand him."

"But you won't fire him."

"He does his job well enough." He glanced her way. "Is Mikk coming?"

The question came unexpectedly—most of the old group never bothered to ask.

"Only you would have the discourtesy to ask this question," she sighed.

"What, it's a legitimate question—no one's seen him since—"

"I know, I know," Rei said tiredly. "I don't know if he's coming."

Kanda, if not spiteful, at least looked concerned.

"Don't you think you should just go find him?" he asked.

"Believe me, I've thought of that a lot," she said dryly. "For some reason…I keep pushing it off. Right now, I'm set on post-graduation."

"…When's that again?"

"Late May," she said. "Aren't you coming?"

"Dunno."

A ring tone sounded, echoing through the sanctuary. Kanda reached for his phone and brought it to his ear.

"What?" he said.

Rei could hear Anja's distinctive voice in reply.

"Did you bring the gift?"

Kanda paused. "No."

"…_How_? I reminded you at least five times—so much for saying you were just going to get there early! Go back and get it!"

"Why don't you just pick it up on your way here—"

"It's the opposite direction! Besides, I'm still with the stylist."

"You've been there for two hours!"

"There was a wait, okay? Just go back and get it—you're closer."

Kanda made an irritated noise. "Fine." He hung up and exhaled. "Shit."

"What?" she asked.

"I didn't buy the present."

"…Are you serious?"

"I thought she did…she left this package in my office…but now that I think about it…I think Alma took it this morning…"

Rei laughed. "You probably can still buy one if you go now—run fast?"

"What do you even get for these occasions?" he groaned, standing up.

"Glassware. Wine. Something nice."

"Helpful," he said dryly. "Fine, I'll be back later—are you getting dinner with the rest tonight?"

"Probably. You coming?"

"Yeah." He looked at her appraisingly. "Don't get too lonely."

For some reason, it felt like he was pitying her. She had to think for a second why.

And then she remembered that it was because after more than a year, she still didn't know how much longer she would have to wait for Tyki.

* * *

The wedding began without the majority of the group.

In fact, of them, Rei was the only one of them present.

Kanda was, surprisingly enough, still stuck in traffic, as explained through his more than explicit texts. He had a case of road rage that Rei personally thought could land him in a rehabilitation center. Allen and Lenalee were in the same dilemma, though they had sent her a much milder explanation for their belatedness; Lavi's flight from France had been delayed, and Mira would be only be arriving after the reception as she was flying from an interview.

Rei let herself think very briefly of Tyki, scanned the crowd for him, before detaching her brain from the hope. She couldn't control her heart quite as well; the familiar sinking feeling that had accompanied every passed holiday for the last year filled her, and the wedding procession in front of her was only a minimal enough of a distraction.

Instead, her mind began its descent down a steep spiral. Being back in London meant that she was in the city where Kate's grave was. And while Rei had made the occasional trip to London precisely for this reason, she could not shake of the feeling of dread and aching sorrow; today was Kate's birthday, but she didn't expect anyone to remember because there was a wedding in front of them while Rei was stuck in a funeral, and when Rei thought of Kate, she was only guaranteed to think of Lavi.

Lavi was always one of those people who Rei could never quite determine if he was okay or not. Rarely, very, very rarely, Lavi would find her in New York and drag her out for drinks; only when he was significantly intoxicated would he start to talk about Kate, and how for some peculiar reason, he could not let her go. How he felt like seriously dating someone else wasn't right. And how though Mira reminded him of Kate, they weren't the same, and he couldn't tell if he was using Mira as a replacement or if he was seeing her as someone different.

He never talked about Kate when he was sober, but it was enough to think that at least, for those drunken moments, Lavi was not quite okay.

She couldn't help but think that if nothing had happened, Lavi and Kate would've been the first to be married. She and Tyki wouldn't have had this…undetermined separation. But who was she to complain? Life had worked out for her better than it should have—still, she couldn't help but feel unsatisfied; as always, she began to turn the ring around her finger, growing more agitated because it felt like she didn't want to be here at the wedding at all because she missed Kate and missed Tyki—

A low whisper. "Something irritating you, miss?"

Rei's eyes snapped open. The rhythmic twisting immediately stopped as her gaze landed on the man she hadn't heard slip into the seat next to her.

It was Tyki who smirked down at her, his hands lazily tucked into the pockets of his slacks. He looked as he always did, much better than how she'd left him—the scars had faded slightly, though he seemed to have lost some weight. Regardless, he looked healthy, comfortable, even, in the formal attire that he had spent years advertising.

"It's good to see you, Rei," he whispered.

"…I'm surprised to see you here," she said coolly.

He chuckled, eliciting a glare from an elderly lady in front of them. "Why? Of course I would come for Marian's special day—I owe a lot to him, after all," said Tyki, glancing over her. "You look lovely."

"I can't say the same for you, unfortunately," she murmured, keeping her gaze fixated ahead at the altar, where Cross was standing rather stiffly with a surprisingly uncomfortable look on his face.

"Really?" he mused. "I think I look rather good—it hurts to hear that you don't think so."

"What are you doing here?" she said.

"I was invited to the wedding," he said, surprised.

"I meant sitting here," she said. "Is it all of a sudden okay to see me now?"

A wolfish grin. "I thought we had an ample amount of time apart from each other. Unless you don't think so? If not, I'll go sit next to…someone else."

"…You're fine," she said, subdued.

"You're angry with me?"

She counted to three; she could tell that he was teasing her, but to hear that observation as question meant that she did not have an absolutely legitimate reason to be angry. He had, after all, told her precisely before their departure that their wait was going to last an undetermined amount of time.

"You got out of rehab over half a year ago," she said calmly. "I just…expected you to find me sooner."

"I wanted to make sure I was actually clean," he said. "I also wanted to wait until you'd made your decision to do what you wanted with your life—I hear from Bookman you're going to consult for a security company?"

"That's the plan," she conceded.

"Congrats."

"Thanks."

He looked amused with her bluntness. She returned with a hard smile before she continued to watch the ceremony unseeingly.

"You don't want to come to London?" he asked in an undertone, his voice startlingly close.

She answered levelly. "Too hard to find a job. I only barely found one in the U.S., let alone New York."

"Ah. So did you choose the security company because you could join the rest of the agents in their little bodyguard escapades that required, well, more exciting activity?"

"Perhaps."

"…You'll be staying in New York then? No matter what?"

"Most likely."

Tyki chuckled at her reluctance to contribute. "It's good to see that you're sure of what you're going to do. Enough of me guessing then. Tell me about the rest of your life."

"You mean men?"

"Not necessarily," he said wryly.

She arched an eyebrow. "I thought you were comfortable with this topic? After all, this was your intention."

"Ah. Right."

He suddenly grabbed her by the shoulder, catching her completely off guard, as he turned her to face him. It took her a few seconds to register that she was being kissed, kissed in the sensational manner that only Tyki could manage, and she found it hard to breathe yet hard to let go, and it was ridiculous, really, the way that he could still make her blank out after a year's worth of accumulated frustration with him—

He pulled away, grinning as he surveyed her gasping for air.

"_Now_ you may tell me about all your other men," he said cockily.

It was utterly pathetic how easily she could let the power dynamic between them be taken. Tyki knew this as much as she did, perhaps even more so, for he glowed at her speechlessness. His arm curled around her shoulder, and she hated how naturally the action was to him, as if she had been the only one struggling to keep up with her life for the last year.

"Not that you have any," he whispered, his other hand taking hers. His thumb stroked the ring. "Or else you wouldn't be wearing this, mm?"

She didn't respond.

"Don't look at me like that, dear," he said quietly. "You know it's been just as hard for me."

"Just watch the wedding," she said, turning away from him.

"Ah…you're still angry."

"No, I'm fine, but that woman in front of us has been glaring at us for a while so if you could just wait until later—"

"That means we have a later?" he said brightly.

"…I haven't pushed you away, have I?" she said.

His arm settled around her shoulder a little more comfortably.

"Coffee, then?"

"There's a reception."

"Later, I mean. I don't think we've ever been on a date—I figured I owe you a few."

His fingers began to wrap themselves in her hair and gently inclined her head to rest on his shoulder. She didn't resist, her temple perched gently against the curve of his shoulder, and she could feel her head pound with her own heartbeat.

"You owe me a lot of presents, too," she murmured.

"Do I really?"

"Mm. For every holiday and birthday."

"I'll get right on it."

"…And you owe me a lot of time."

"…That's fine, love. From now on, we have plenty of that."

* * *

"Kanda, your wine is defective," said Allen.

"No, it's not."

"Are you blind? There's these….white things floating around in it—it looks like glass. What kind of wedding gift is this?"

"Not much of one," he scowled, "considering that you all are currently drinking it."

They were in a small room that was serving as a coatroom, hiding away from the rest of the reception. The paparazzi had suddenly flooded the reception hall with their buzzing cameras and intrusive microphones; it turned out that though Cross had specifically asked for the wedding to be private, the reception was apparently not out-of-bounds. It did not help that Tyki was making his first public appearance in months.

"It's not our fault that _someone_ ate all the food we managed to snatch," said Lavi, eying Allen, who grinned guiltily. "Bloody black hole of a stomach, mate."

"It's what I do," said Allen, shrugging. "Here, here, I'll be so generous that you can have _all _of Kanda's defective wine."

"It's not defective, asshole."

"You have glass shards in your wine," said Allen indignantly, holding the red liquid up in front of him. "See? It must be your bottle—it's weird."

"It's not glass, Allen," said Lavi. "They're wine diamonds."

"They're what?"

Lavi ignored him at turned to Tyki. "So what made you finally come back?"

"Couldn't keep the missy waiting for too long, could I?" he said, patting Rei on the head.

"You made her wait for long enough."

"Upset or something, Bookman? You miss me?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he yawned. "Here, Allen, hand over the glass if you don't want it. Where's everyone else?"

"Like who?" said Lenalee, taking the glass from Allen's introspective line of vision and handing it to Lavi.

"Mira?" said Lavi offhandedly.

"I lost her in the crowd," said Rei. "She was helping Anita, last time I saw her."

"Oh," said Lavi pensively.

"…You all right there, Lavi?" said Lenalee.

"No, yeah, I'm fine," he said. "I was just thinking…I rather like it like this."

"Like what?" said Tyki, taking the bottle from Allen as well.

"Just this," said Lavi, motioning with his hand around the room. "Just us. The old group."

It was obvious who Lavi was thinking about. They exchanged meaningful looks, unsure of what to make the situation—whether Lavi needed consolation or a distraction. Right when Allen opened his mouth, though, Lavi spoke.

"I'm fine, guys. Just been thinking," he said, drinking deeply. "Damn, that's good wine, Kanda."

"See, it's not defective, bean sprout."

"There's _glass_ in there," said Allen incredulously. "Or diamonds, which is not any better—"

"It's not actually diamond," said Lavi patiently. "It's crystallized potassium acid tartrate."

"Bless you," deadpanned Allen.

"It happens if the grapes are fermented well," continued Lavi, ignoring Allen's disparagement. "It's completely edible, just tastes a little tart—it's an indicator of high quality wine."

"Wow," said Tyki sardonically, "we're so rich we put diamonds in our wine."

"It's not diamond, you dunce—"

"I know, I know," he grinned, pouring himself and Rei a glass. "I heard you. I'm just saying. Diamonds in wine?"

He clinked his glass against hers and drank it in one gulp.

"Ridiculous."

* * *

She keeps walking down the endless corridor of the airport. She doesn't know where she's going, she doesn't know when she'll arrive.

She wonders if Lavi's on this same road too, searching for something he's unsure of, or if he took the wrong turn back at the crossroads and is going to take that much longer to backtrack and arrive with her. Or maybe their destinations aren't the same at all, but she has the feeling that they are because the more she walks, the more she thinks of the finale. And she thinks the finale is whatever she wants the most. And that the finale is not the finale she would've obtained had she gone with Kanda.

She keeps walking, thinking. She feels like she's missing something.

Finally, the scene changes. She arrives at the gates. They are all empty, and only one of them is open. The screen flashes with the red letters of DESTINATION, but there is no word next to it.

Frustrated, she turns around and surveys the expanse of solidarity. Just as she is about to give up out of irritation, so sick she is of this recurring dream, she feels someone tap her on the shoulder. She whirls around, and she doesn't even know why she is surprised when she sees Tyki there.

"Took you long enough," he says. "The plane's about to leave."

"Where to?" she says warily.

He shrugs. "Up to you, really. It's your trip."

"Not yours?"

"Well, ours. You get to decide where you land though."

"…I don't get it."

"I don't either," he says nonchalantly. "Not my problem though. I'm just here because that's where I'm supposed to be."

"With me?"

"Well, isn't that what you wanted?"

"…Yeah."

"So here we go."

He takes her by the hand and guides her to the terminal, but Rei looks over shoulder as she walks, wanting to see how far she walked; she can't see the ending, but she can feel the journey, and she understands, finally, what this dream means, and that this will be the last time she'll have it.

This is all their journey has been and will always be.

Ridiculous.

* * *

**_fin._ **

_Diamonds in Wine. end._


	58. Final Free Talk

_final free talk_:

(i tried to resist, but couldn't. i always need to have the last word.)

and so here we arrive at the end. i think all of us know how long of a journey it has been; needless to say, i will forever be so thankful for your support through nearly sixty chapters of _diamonds in wine_. the reception for this story has been overwhelming and undeserved - i want to especially thank those who have stuck with rei through thick and thin, from the very, very beginning over two years ago. thank you for bearing with my hiatuses, the chapters of much lesser quality, and the ones that we both hopefully enjoyed immensely.

i debated about making the title of _diamonds in wine_ recur in the final chapter. in the end, though, i think i enjoyed the addition. i was going to make the relationship between the title and the story more obvious towards the end, but i wanted it to be a little vague so readers could have their own interpretation of what diamonds in wine actually means to them for this story. i honestly rewrote bits of the final chapter more than i have for any other chapter (i hardly ever edit, hence my many typos), and though i can't say i'm completely satisfied with it, i'm fine with it.

to those who don't read my lj, i said before that i had decided on tyki and rei a long time ago. it was for a variety of reasons, and truthfully i was never 100% sure, especially when scenes with kanda and rei seemed to be so much easier to write. but i rather like it like this; kanda as a more ambiguous figure, someone with whom a middle-ground is, though unlikely, at least possible. all the same, rei and kanda will always be the huge "what-if" scenario.

there will not be a sequel to _diamonds in wine_. it has been an incredibly long journey, and i don't see a reason to draw it out any further without making the ending a little too happy. but since there is no sequel, and i rather like "what-if" scenarios, i will be releasing a one-shot alternate ending when i have time.

but i hope that you won't think anything more of the alternate ending than of what it is. this is _diamonds in wine_, the reality, in the raw and unedited.

i hope you enjoyed it as much as i have.

xoxo,  
m.n


	59. AE: List of Little Things

**Alternate Ending. List of Little Things.**

* * *

_The proposal._

* * *

There were certain things about Kanda that, to a stranger, would be startling, but to a familiar, were simply things about Kanda that one merely had to accept in order to be able to deal with him. His crass tongue, his stubbornness, his overall inconsideration of others' feelings. She was ultimately used to all these deficits in Kanda's personality and had developed a particular immunity to it, one that had been essential to develop over the course of five years of dating.

Then there were certain things about him that always took her by surprise, despite the fact that she'd known him for so long. Like his beauty, which never failed to stun her and the rest of the modeling community. He was now in his late twenties, years of youthful maturity, and a cool, statuesque presence now accompanied him whether he was in front of the camera or not. There was the refinement of his movement, his quiet demeanor that had supplanted his years of frequent angry outbursts. There was the comfort he felt with silence.

And with that silence, there came the subtlety of his consideration.

When Rei thought back to it, she should've seen the proposal coming.

Kanda hated Valentine's Day, and the fact that Rei's birthday fell on it hardly changed things. For the last five years, they hadn't celebrated her birthday. Rei honestly did not mind—Kanda was not someone to expect sentimental gifts out of, and oftentimes Rei felt that the only reason he could tolerate her was precisely because she didn't expect anything. But days before Rei's twenty-sixth birthday, Kanda had offhandedly suggested that they go eat at an expensive Italian restaurant that they had gone to for Allen and Lenalee's private wedding reception.

"Italian?" said Rei.

"Mm."

"I thought you didn't like European food."

"I don't."

"Then we don't have to worry about it. We can just stay in—that's what we've been doing for the last five years."

"But you like it," said Kanda with a tinge of impatience. "Don't you?"

"I mean…yeah, but really, Valentine's Day is a lot of trouble—don't worry about it, especially if you don't like Italian. And they have like a two month waiting list for reservations—"

"I've already made the reservation. We're going."

And so they went, much to Rei's unspoken delight, for the restaurant was really quite lovely. Unsurprisingly, they bumped into Lenalee and Allen, who were, much to Rei's amusement, on a double-date of some sort with Cross and Anita.

"I'm shocked," said Lenalee teasingly. "Who knew Kanda would venture out of the house on Valentine's Day."

"I heard from Walker that this restaurant did a decent job keeping out unwanted paparazzi," said Kanda shortly.

"Or are you just getting nicer?" laughed Anita. "Finally celebrating Rei's birthday? About time."

"You wanna join us?" said Allen.

Rei looked at Kanda in inquiry, but Kanda shook his head.

"I'd rather not," he said curtly.

"Jeez, just a suggestion," said Allen, rolling his eyes. "No need to be so…rude."

"I wasn't being rude," said Kanda tersely.

"Oh, right, you were just being Kanda."

"Allen," said Cross.

Allen stiffened immediately.

"Yes?"

"Grow up."

"…Yes sir."

Cross waved Rei and Kanda away in dismissal. Once they were out of earshot, Rei touched Kanda's shoulder gently.

"What?" said Kanda.

"You okay?" she asked. "You seem…out of it. Something wrong?"

"…No," he sighed. "I'm fine. Let's sit down."

But throughout the rest of dinner, Kanda was quieter than normal, leaving Rei to break the silence with occasional and light conversation; business discussions, how their latest photo shoot had been received, how having Lavi model for _Illusion_ for another year might not be a bad idea.

"Kanda?"

There was no response.

"Kanda?" she sad again, reaching over the white tablecloth and tapping his hand, which was resting beside his untouched entrée.

Kanda jolted out of some reverie and looked at her.

"What?"

"…If you're tired, we can just go home," she said gently.

"No, you haven't even eaten."

"Kanda, you must've gone temporarily blind. I've finished my dessert while your plate of fettuccini sits unscathed—if you want to go home, we can leave now and I'll make something for you when we get back."

"I'm not hungry," he said irritably.

Rei frowned but did not prod any further. "All right, then. Shall we leave?"

It had been an utterly unspectacular dinner, for though Kanda was normally quiet, rarely was he this sullen. Rei attributed it to stress from work, as bad press always revolved around their relationship—how she shouldn't be dating someone she was economically tied to, how she was only attracted to him for the money, how Kanda himself probably had multiple girls on the sidelines, for the prospect of such a beautiful man being monogamous seemed absurd. They'd gotten to the point where it hardly bothered them anymore, but Valentine's week was always worse than normal.

They left through the back exit, where the limo was already waiting. Kanda climbed in first and Rei followed; she shut the door behind her, shivering slightly, and turned to him, only to find that he handing over his coat.

"It's fine," she said, "the car's heated and you're not wearing a lot."

"Rei," he said, annoyed, tossing it over her. "You're wearing a nearly backless dress. Use your common sense and figure out who needs it more."

Smiling slightly, she slipped over her front and shifted so that she was sitting closer to him. Checking his face for his reaction, she let her head rest on his shoulder lightly. When he remained impassive, she spoke.

"Thank you for taking me out," she said. "I know how much you hate anything that's not Japanese food."

"It's fine."

She glanced his way. "…Last time, I promise. You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah. Just…"

There was a rustling sound, and she straightened up to find a bouquet of red roses thrust in her face. Bewildered, she took them and stared.

"…Um…"

"I was going to get you white ones," he said, "but then I remembered _Mikk_ gave you those back…a long time ago, but it still pissed me off, so here."

"I thought you hated flowers," she said, completely thrown.

"I do, but I know you like them."

"…Kanda, are you_ sure_ you're okay, I mean if you're sick—"

He grabbed her left hand and she felt something cool be slid onto her index finger. She looked down.

It was a ring, and it was beautiful. Embedded with emeralds all around the band that converged into a single diamond that looked like the center of a flower, it was a work of art.

It took a long time for her to process. She didn't know how much time had passed until Kanda's hand slipped around her waist, pulling her near so that their faces were mere centimeters apart from each other.

When he spoke, it was soft, and the words were so uncharacteristic of him that she nearly wanted to believe that the entire night had been a delusion.

"Marry me."

She would've never thought that Kanda would want to get married. It just wasn't him. And she herself had never considered it—after everything, after her father, his remarriage, and then everything with Tyki, she'd found herself not taking marriage seriously anymore, and to think that Kanda…

It was terrible timing. She and Kanda had been dating for five years already; she had seen Tyki only twice over that time period. And yet, she could not help but think of him now, of the cards that never failed to reach her on every birthday and holiday, the ones that said nothing more than "Happy Birthday, Rei. Love, Tyki." No explanation, no elaboration. It was inappropriate, it was unnecessary, it was unfair. But that was over, that had been over a long time ago, back when she really had been dating Tyki and came to the conclusion that they could never work out in the end.

"…Rei," he said quietly.

Rei blinked rapidly.

"Who are you thinking about right now?"

"…No one."

"Mikk?"

"No," she said quickly.

But Kanda was already retreating from her, his lips curled in a derisive scoff.

"After five years, Rei, I don't get it at all—"

"Kanda, I want to marry you."

"It really doesn't seem like it—"

She set aside the flowers and scooted across the seat to corner him against the door.

"You're right," she said. "I was thinking about Tyki."

Kanda's eyes narrowed.

"But I haven't seen him in years," she said seriously. "And honestly…I was thinking how I didn't want to get married. Because of everything that happened with him." Her hand slipped into his, and she was glad when he didn't pull away. "I've gotten to the point where I don't take marriage seriously anymore, Kanda. That's all I was thinking. But…but with you, it's different, and…I honestly do, Kanda, I know you—"

He grabbed her by the shoulder and kissed her, and in the contact was an unmistakable relief, an urgency, and she met him fervently and completely willingly.

It hadn't been a proposal by normal standards. He hadn't gotten down on one knee, there had been no declaration of undying love, there had been no immediate and simultaneously joyous answer.

But he'd gone out on Valentine's Day, he'd made a reservation for Italian, and he'd bought roses.

These were the times that never failed to surprise her, but it was always and only the little things that mattered with Kanda.

* * *

_the engagement._

* * *

"I don't understand," said Kanda sourly, picking up an envelope and sealing it. "Why do we have to do these manually? Why can't we just send invitations through the email or, better yet, not invite anyone at all?"

"We don't have that many guests, Kanda, stop complaining," she said, writing an address down carefully on the front of an envelope.

"Half these people are people we see everyday," muttered Kanda. "Why don't I just walk next door, find Bookman, and tell him when and where the wedding is?"

"He'll give you hell for that," she murmured.

"Why?"

"It's just not the way it's done, Kanda."

"I don't give a damn how it's done."

"Shut up and seal the envelopes, you whiny idiot."

Surprisingly enough, he did.

They were making compromises already.

* * *

"What are those?" said Rei testily, eying the sizable stack of invitations and envelopes that Kanda placed on the table. "I finished all of them already—no thanks to you, Mr. Sleepyhead."

"I wasn't sleeping," he said. "I was doing some research. These are the addresses to all of Mikk's villas around the world. Since we don't know where he is, I figured we might send one to all of them."

Rei stared hesitantly at him. Kanda arched an eyebrow.

"What? You'd expect me to not notice that you didn't send him one?"

She didn't reply. Sighing, he sat down across from her and handed her half the stack.

"Start writing," he said, picking up a pen himself. "There's like thirty of them. And stop looking like that—I know you want him to be there, so just send them out."

"But if you don't want him there, that's—"

"Don't want him there?" smirked Kanda. "You think I'd pass up the chance to rub this in his face? Yeah, right. Now write."

* * *

_the wedding_.

* * *

"You look beautiful, Rei."

"Bookman, what are you even doing here?"

"Bored. Women take so long to get ready—thought I'd come bother you." Lavi sat down easily on the couch in Rei's dressing room.

"Shouldn't you be with Kanda?"

"I'm rather bitter towards Kanda right now," said Lavi. "To think—_Allen_ over me? Since when were he and Allen best mates?"

"They have a strange…relationship," said Rei. "They're quite good friends—it just doesn't seem like they…get along."

"Weirdest friendship I've ever seen," said Lavi dryly, looking at her up at down. "Your hair's great, but when are you changing into your dress?"

"When you get out," she said primly.

"C'mon, it's not a big deal."

"Are you serious?"

"We've seen each other naked before—"

"No, we have not."

"Givenchy photo shoot?"

"Wrong person, Bookman."

"Oh. Right. Damn. We'll have to organize a naked shoot then."

"Go bother Mira."

"No fun," he said. "We always end up getting into an argument."

"Go find Anja."

Lavi snorted. "You kidding? Woman hates me."

"Bookman, why is it that no one likes you?"

"Absolutely no idea," he said breezily. "But you do, right? That's all that matters?"

"No. Go away, I need to change."

There was a knock on the door, and Lenalee poked her head in, her hair and makeup already impeccable.

"Hi," she said. "I'm finished—do you need help, Rei?"

"I may once Bookman leaves," she said. "Bookman."

"Fine, fine, on my way," he yawned, kissing Rei and Lenalee on the cheek before idling out.

Lenalee helped Rei into the dress, an _Illusion_ creation, though it was one that Anja had designed. Kanda had originally wanted to be the designer, but of course that would've gone against every superstition of marriage possible, and thus he'd backed down in the end. Anja had done a splendid job, though, with a laced collar and floral patterned bodice before the dress flowed to the ground with a sizable train. It was slightly ornate, and Rei knew that once Kanda saw it, he would have an infinite number of critiques to make, but it hardly mattered; in the light of things, the dress was only a small part of something that seemed ultimately surreal.

"Does that fit?" said Lenalee, tucking the train under one hand.

"Yeah, we can just zip it up now."

There was another knock, and Rei let out a frustrated growl.

"Bookman, for the last time, go bother Kanda—"

The door creaked open. It wasn't Lavi.

Dressed simply in a suit and an underlying black vest with one single gold chain dangling on the side, Tyki appeared at the entrance, his smile faint, his presence very much real.

Rei could not help but stare in utter shock.

"Hello," he said, nodding to the both of them. "Rei. Lenalee."

"H-hi," said Lenalee, bewildered and glancing quickly at Rei for her reaction.

She was speechless.

"I know it's a bit unprecedented," said Tyki, "but…Lenalee, would you mind if I had a word with Rei? In private?"

"No, I mean, yes, I mean…" Lenalee looked at Rei for help.

Rei nodded. "Yeah, that would be nice—I mean, fine. It's okay. I'll be out in a minute."

Lenalee nodded and stepped out of the room, shutting the door gently behind her. Rei just stared at Tyki, whose smile broadened as he stepped across the parlor so that he was abreast of her.

"It's been a while," he said. Same scent of cigarette smoke. "Couple years?"

She nodded silently. He stepped around her; she felt like she was on display as he circled her, looking at her intently.

He stopped behind her, where he looked at her through the mirror that stood across from them.

"You look stunning," he said softly.

"…Thanks," she said, uncomfortable with how close his voice appeared.

A low chuckle.

"Can't quite believe I gave this up," he said. His hands rested on her hips lightly—it was too intimate, too soon.

"Don't touch me," she said quietly.

He obliged and removed his hands.

"Sorry."

"…It's fine."

They fell silent, each examining the other through the reflection of the mirror because direct eye contact was too intimate, too soon, because there was definitely some degree of fear and wariness between them, and it pained her to realize that this was all they'd become—distrustful, frightened, and regretful.

"I wanted to say thank you for your cards," she said carefully. "They…were really appreciated."

"You're welcome."

She began to stray closer.

"So where have you been?"

"All over," he answered. "Italy, France, Spain, Portugal for some time, then China, and the U.S.—really, all over, except for London."

"What have you been doing?"

"Working," he said.

"Rarely," she said. "There were only a few photo shoots that you consented to do."

"Mm. Well, being less available made my commercial image worth more. It's the same thing that Kanda and you do, right?"

"…I suppose."

There was a glint in his golden eyes. "Worried about me?"

She yielded room. "As always."

Another chuckle, and his hands then rested on her lower back.

"I'll zip you up."

She said nothing and allowed him to, and when the zipper stopped at its goal, Tyki's hands wandered to her shoulders and fiddled with her veil.

"You told me you didn't want to get married," he said.

He was covering ground quickly.

"Not to you," she said.

His eyes flickered to meet hers in the mirror. "Of course. So Kanda treats you well."

It was not a question; it was more of a derisive statement.

"Yes," she answered. "He does."

Tyki didn't answer immediately. His hand trailed down her left arm and stopped at her wrist, where he took her hand and tilted it upward so that the engagement ring glinted in the sunlight that made the parlor glow.

"…How did he propose?"

Rei smiled faintly. "He didn't."

"…I see," said Tyki. "

A quick knock that separated them, and then Lenalee emerged from the entrance.

"Sorry," she said apologetically, "but something came up—Rei, Cross can't make it."

"…Why?" said Rei, stepping out of Tyki's range. "I thought he was here already—"

"No, his flight was supposed to get in two hours ago but he and Anita are delayed in New York—apparently, it's storming badly."

"…Why do you need Marian?" asked Tyki.

"He's supposed to walk Rei down the aisle," said Lenalee anxiously. "Maybe I can ask Lavi to do it—and then I'll sit out so that the number of bridesmaids and groomsmen will be equal—"

"That's easily fixable," said Tyki. "I'll walk her down."

Alarm flashed through Lenalee's face. "But…"

"It's appropriate, isn't it?" said Tyki with the barest trace of a smirk. "Me giving Rei away? To Kanda, no less?"

"It's fine," said Rei, "we can just get Lavi—"

"Could you ask Kanda for me please, Lenalee?"

"He's fine with it," said Lavi's voice. He appeared behind Lenalee and patted her on the head. "I already got the memo that you were here, so when I heard that Marian wasn't going to make it, I figured you'd want to walk Rei down so I went ahead and asked for you. He's cool."

"Bookman," said Rei warningly.

"It's fine, Rei. Kanda's not that petty—besides, it's pretty appropriate, if you want to be brutally honest with yourself."

"Thanks," said Tyki. "We'll be out in a second—I have a few more things I want to say to Rei."

Lavi arched an eyebrow in suggestive inquiry. Tyki shook his head—in the end, it looked like Lavi was still the one who understood Tyki best, for he shrugged as if he'd gotten his answer and beckoned to Lenalee.

"We're starting in fifteen—better get ready soon."

They left the two of them alone. It was awkward positioning now, without the mirror to be their visual conductor, and slowly she turned to him, slightly apprehensive.

"You don't have to walk me down," she said. "I can get Bookman."

"It's no big deal," said Tyki. "I think it'd be healthy for me. Giving you away."

"That's…"

"Your father couldn't make it?" said Tyki.

Rei's eyes flashed. "I don't contact him. Or the rest of your family, for that matter."

"As you shouldn't," he agreed. "In case you were wondering, though, he's doing well with Lulu, and—"

"I don't care," she said in a steely tone.

Tyki dropped the subject. "Right. Well…we only have a few minutes, so I'll go ahead and say what I wanted to say." His hand reached up and touched her cheek, tilting her head up so that she faced him. "I have missed you, very much, for the last few years. At the same time, I believe that our ending was…the better decision. A wiser decision. So…I came to say thank you, for being with me, back at the very beginning, and then again…after you came back. You probably think…that that year with me was more trouble than it was worth. And I'm sorry for that. But it was more valuable to me than you could imagine."

He paused, as if he were waiting for her answer. Rei did not have one—Tyki coming back now telling her all of this was not going to change anything. They were no longer children; responsibilities, obligations, and reality weighed more heavily on their shoulders than ever before. They could no longer act so impulsive, so unaware of who made them self-destructive, so hell-bent on keeping a relationship that made them unbelievably happy for infinitesimal moments in comparison to the long run of arguments, distrust, and hurt.

He seemed to know this, for he nodded slowly. He then bent down slightly so that their faces were level, and Rei resisted the urge to push him away.

"That's all, then. The last thing," he said huskily, "is this." He leaned close, and instinctively Rei turned to the side so that his lips grazed her cheek, liltingly, gently. The touch seemed like it took forever, too long. Too intimate, and it would always be too soon. Or too late. He hovered there, his fingers stroking her skin. His breath lilted.

"Congratulations."

* * *

"Surprised you didn't come with anyone today to the wedding," said Lavi, sliding into the seat next to Tyki at the bar.

"To _her_ wedding?" Tyki scoffed. "As if."

"Oh, so you have matured."

"Can't help it—I'm over thirty."

"Old man," chuckled Lavi. "But seriously. You okay?"

"…Yeah. I came with that mentality to the wedding, at any rate," he said. "It's a little harder than I expected but…it's fine." Tyki pulled out a cigarette and lit it. "She looks happy."

"Yeah," said Lavi, "I think she is."

Tyki saw him glance sideways in his direction.

"What, Bookman?"

"Nothing."

"Spit it out."

"I don't want you getting the wrong idea—she's happy."

"I know that. She's also married now. And on her way to Japan for the first time in nearly ten years with her…" Tyki grimaced, "_husband_. Believe me, she's out of my reach now, and I know that."

"Right."

"…So what?"

"I was just going to say…I think she thinks of you. Now and then. And misses you."

"Great," scoffed Tyki. "Should've told me that five years ago, when we were about to fall apart—"

"I didn't need to tell you that," said Lavi shortly. "You already knew, and you let it fall apart."

Tyki was silent.

"Look, mate," sighed Lavi. "I'm not shoving it in your face. Just…" He paused. "It's happened."

"I know," said Tyki.

"…Good for you, you know," said Lavi. "Giving her away. That was…noble."

"I can't tell if you're serious or just being sarcastic."

"No, I'm being real. I…I think it's good. Healthy for you."

Tyki rocked his glass back and forth in his hand. Rei had been glowing down the aisle, and despite Kanda's gaze clearly flickering over to Tyki, Rei seemed to have been fixated on the alter, and on her feet so that she wouldn't trip over her train. It was an unsettling feeling, to see her for the first time in so long only to give her away, permanently, to the one man Tyki had never felt more threatened by.

Because even over the course of their separation, Rei had always registered to be _his_ girl. Far removed from seeing her and Kanda together, the idea of them dating hadn't even phased Tyki that much—it was just a stage, they would tire of each other, and Kanda was too emotionally limited to have a long-term relationship. But then he'd gotten that invitation in the mail—_we cordially invite you to—Yuu Kanda—Rei Matsumomo—_and then it all became very real, because only then did it occur to Tyki that Kanda was truly, truly serious. And if Rei had said yes…she was serious too.

"Yeah, I hope it'll be good," he said.

Lavi grinned. "…Time to move on?"

Tyki chuckled wryly. "I know. I have already."

"Sure."

"Seriously, Bookman."

Lavi raised his glass. "I'll keep believing that."

Tyki clinked his drink against Lavi's and drank the rest in one gulp. "So will I."

* * *

_the honeymoon._

* * *

"Kanda?"

"Yeah?"

"Why are there flowers here?"

"They're not from me," said Kanda, emerging from the shower. "I wouldn't get you white roses."

"…So they're from Tyki."

"I guess," he sighed, lying down on the bed. "I was going to throw them out, but I figured that would be petty."

"Why are they here?"

"Isn't there a card?"

Rei smiled slightly and left the bouquet untouched to walk over to the bed and lay down beside him.

"Grumpy?" she grinned, rolling on top of him.

"No," he said, turning his face away from her.

"Grouchy."

"Shut up, go see if there's a card."

"You didn't look for one yourself?" she asked, laying her chin on his chest so that she could feel the rhythmic beating of his heart against her skin.

"…I figured it would be something private."

She smiled again and slid up so that her face was directly over his. That was another thing to add on the list of little things Kanda did.

"You've gotten more…" She kissed him gently. "What's the word? Mature? Or sensible?"

"I got married," said Kanda acidly. "If you think I'm going to be pissed off by Mikk who you haven't seen in years—"

"Mm-hm, you're not mature at all," she said, laughing. "You're still worried. Look, I won't look at the card. You can read it first."

"Go get it."

Rei rolled off the bed and made her way to the sets of bouquets that were now filling the room with their strong aroma. It took a few minutes of shuffling around the petals to find the card; she picked it up and examined it.

"It's not addressed to me," she said, frowning.

She heard rustling behind her and turned around to find Kanda approaching her, his face already dark.

"Who's it addressed to?"

"You," she said, starting to laugh. The handwriting was undeniably Tyki's—of course he couldn't leave without the last word, and to Kanda, no less…

"Hand it over," snapped Kanda, grabbing the envelope himself and ripping it open. Out fell a stiff, white card, which Kanda picked up and read; one glance and his face color plummeted into one of darkest rage.

"Fucking—"

"What does it say?" said Rei, peering over the edge.

"He's a fucking asshole—"

"Here, here, give it to me—"

She snatched it from his hands before he could rip it up and saw the following.

_Dear Kanda,_

_Congratulations on finally getting married. I always thought I would be attending you and Alma's wedding but I guess I was wrong. Bookman agrees with me though. He's also the one who told me you hate white roses. You can blame him for the bouquets. I'm completely wasted right now, if you can't tell. Hope your honeymoon is amazing. By the way, Rei is particularly sensitive on the right side of her lower neck. And her left—_

Rei stopped reading and promptly ripped the card in her hands to shreds.

"Let's get room service to take these away," she said primly.

"Right side of lower neck?" said Kanda with an arched eyebrow.

"He's just being…"

Kanda took a step towards her; she took a step back.

"What was the other part?" he breathed, cornering her against the wall. "Left inner thigh?"

She could feel herself reddening at this point. "He's—"

She gasped as Kanda suddenly lifted her up and headed for the bed.

"Kanda, seriously, it was a joke, he was clearly wasted—"

"Doesn't change a damn thing, Rei."

"There's nothing to be angry about—you've gotten more mature, right—"

"I tried," he said, smirking as he dropped her on the mattress and climbed over her. "Slight problem there. Your asshole of an ex is thirty-two years old and still an asshole. You can't blame me for getting just slightly pissed."

He placed his hands against either side of her head and began to attack the right side of her neck, causing her to gasp.

It'd been nearly ten years after they'd first met. She would've thought that they would've grown up by now.

But no, all of them were still idiots. Immature.

Yet the little list of little things was steadily growing longer, and perhaps that was why she didn't mind, because in the end, that was how things always progressed; little by little, step by step, until she looked back and realized just how far they'd gotten; how far the beginning was, but how close it was too, for the far was always near and the near was always far, and that was how it'd always been.

* * *

_the end._


End file.
